Sitting in the center of the dojo, Fujiwara Chiya listened attentively to Shihandai's explanation.
"The Domain is also known as 'flow.' It is a state of complete concentration, a union of the entire body reached by pouring in all of one's spirit and all of one's emotion."
"It is not limited to uma musume. Humans can also enter the Domain. Its most direct manifestation is a state of 'no-self.'"
In other words, it meant striving wholly for the event itself, to the point where even one's own existence felt distant. Every action, every thought, occurred as naturally as drifting clouds and flowing water. Once a person entered a state of total concentration, all of their abilities would be developed to their limit.
Of course, Shihandai's words were not meant for Fujiwara Chiya.
They were meant for the uma musume beside him, Fujiwara Shirayuki.
"When one's skill is high but the challenge is low, a person becomes bored. When one's skill is low but the challenge is high, a person becomes anxious. Only when both skill and challenge reach a high level at the same time can one enter the state of flow."
In other words, this was not something one could achieve whenever one pleased. There were prerequisites: control over oneself, and being placed in a sufficiently special environment.
And the most important point in controlling oneself was sensing oneself.
Yaeno Muteki carried a set of protective gear out from the equipment room at the back of the dojo. Just from the sound it made when it touched the floor, it was clear these things were not light. She came to Shirayuki's side and handed the set of gear to her, along with a pair of thick horseshoes.
"Starting today, you will move while wearing these."
"All of them?"
"All of them."
Fujiwara Shirayuki looked at the chest protector that covered half her body, the wrist guards, and the leg guards. The corner of her eye twitched. Even for an uma musume, walking while wearing all this would be exhausting enough.
Not to mention the thickened horseshoes.
Fujiwara Chiya had used similar weighted training methods before, but he had never added weight directly to the whole body like this. Now, she was practically being wrapped from head to toe.
"How long do I have to wear them?"
"From now until the day you leave."
"All the time?"
"You may take them off when you sleep."
"You're joking…"
Even as a trainer, Shirayuki could not help but feel shaken. What was the difference between making her run in these things and making her carry a person on her back? It would be a miracle if she could run properly.
As if seeing through her thoughts, Shihandai shook his head.
"These are not meant to make you run faster. They are meant to help you feel more deeply how power is transmitted while running."
Hearing his words, Shirayuki put the gear on. In an instant, her body was dragged toward the ground by a powerful weight. Her legs felt as though they had sunk into a swamp. Every step required a tremendous amount of effort.
A few hours would be one thing.
But one month?
Just thinking about it sent a chill through Shirayuki.
This was no longer merely training her body. It was also a trial of her will.
"Next, I will serve as your opponent."
Yaeno Muteki stood before her.
"Hey, I'm still wearing all this."
"That is exactly why you must increase your speed and think about how to use your muscles to complete each movement faster. Then, please excuse me!"
After saying that, Yaeno Muteki swung her fist toward her.
Shirayuki immediately gritted her teeth. For an instant, the other girl's movements slowed down, as though they were being played frame by frame like a slideshow. However, it lasted only for that brief moment before everything returned to normal.
Beside them, Shihandai watched Shirayuki's movements and raised his brow slightly.
"That child seems to have already touched the threshold."
Fujiwara Chiya clutched his arm. Just now, when he had moved quickly, he had accidentally pulled a tendon. Whenever Shirayuki felt pain, he felt it on his side as well.
Yaeno Muteki really doesn't hold back at all.
I'm a complete beginner who doesn't know anything, you know!
"Now then, it is your turn, Trainer Chiya."
"Me?"
"That's right. Since they have begun their training, we cannot remain idle either."
Shihandai picked up a bamboo sword.
"A trainer must remain unshaken no matter what happens, with a heart as still as water. The more tense the situation becomes, the calmer you must be. Only then can you think clearly, offer the most reasonable advice when your uma musume becomes nervous, and soothe their emotions."
"This old man has lived in the dojo for over thirty years, so I understand this matter better than most. If you wish to keep yourself in a state of clear thought, then the first thing you must learn is zazen."
"Zazen?"
Why is it always zazen?
Gold Ship did zazen back then. Kyoei March did zazen. And now it was his turn to do zazen.
Was this thing really that useful?
"This old man will teach you according to the dojo's methods, so you must endure it, Trainer Chiya."
You've got to be kidding me.
Shirayuki was getting beaten over there, while he had to sit here with a heart as still as water.
What kind of Avici Hell was this?
But Shihandai gave him no chance to argue. He made Chiya sit cross-legged. The moment he moved even slightly, Shihandai would strike his shoulder with the bamboo sword.
On one side, there was heat as fierce as fire.
On the other, calm as still water.
This combination of movement and stillness nearly drove Fujiwara Chiya insane. Fortunately, his body was sturdy enough. Even after being struck by Shihandai several times, he could still endure it.
Shirayuki, on the other hand, could not. She was kicked over by Yaeno Muteki and could no longer get back up.
The taste of blood spread through her mouth. It felt worse than running two thousand meters. The protective gear on her body had kept her from being injured. Instead, it was Yaeno Muteki whose hands had become flushed red from repeatedly striking Shirayuki's armor.
Yet Yaeno Muteki paid no attention to her own condition. Instead, she handed Shirayuki a prepared sugar-water drink and had her sit down to recover her strength.
Training continued all the way until noon.
When Shihandai finally said, "That will be all," Fujiwara Chiya felt as though he had been reborn as he collapsed onto the floor.
This is way too exhausting!
This was not something an ordinary person could endure. Of course, a large reason Fujiwara Chiya felt that way was because he alone was bearing two forms of pressure. What the uma musume side had to do, he had to do. What the trainer side had to do, he also had to do.
Two forms of ascetic training had fallen onto a single person, placing enormous pressure on Fujiwara Chiya.
"Onii-sama? Are you here?"
A soft, delicate voice entered the dojo, and a small black figure walked inside.
She saw Shirayuki leaning against the wall in a strange outfit. The girl was hugging her knees and seemed to be dozing. Not far from Shirayuki, Fujiwara Chiya was lying on a mat.
"Onii-sama!"
Rice Shower ran over with quick little steps, then knelt beside Fujiwara Chiya. Seeing the man's listless face, Rice Shower's heart skipped a beat.
"Rice? Have you all finished training?"
"Mm. We're waiting for Onii-sama to eat."
"No need to wait for me. You can eat first."
Fujiwara Chiya did not want to move at all right now.
"But the food has already been served… Rice will bring some over for Onii-sama! Rice will stay with Onii-sama!"
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Fujiwara Chiya turned over.
"Mm!"
Rice Shower nodded, then looked toward Fujiwara Shirayuki beside him.
"What about Shirayuki-san? Rice will bring some for Shirayuki-san too."
However, Shirayuki only swayed twice before being softly pulled down toward the floor by the weight of her protective gear.
She had already fallen asleep.