Inside the dojo, the sound of rapid footsteps echoed.
Yaeno Muteki's fists moved like a gale. She threw a punch straight toward Shirayuki's face, but Shirayuki twisted her body and dodged it. Yaeno Muteki attacked again and again, while Shirayuki evaded in all kinds of ways.
Wearing that heavy protective gear, her body moved slowly, as though it had sunk into a swamp. However, after half a month of training, Shirayuki could now dodge Yaeno Muteki's attacks.
When the other girl's fist shot toward her chest, Shirayuki's lower leg pressed into the floor. She kicked backward, twisted her waist at the same time, turned her body, then finally shifted her shoulders and slid sideways.
It was only a simple movement.
And yet, it used the muscles of her entire body.
In exchange, even while wearing that heavy protective gear, her body turned with unimaginable speed.
The instant Shirayuki shifted her body, Yaeno Muteki did not let the opportunity slip by. She swept Shirayuki's leg aside with one kick. While Shirayuki was losing her balance, Yaeno Muteki immediately gathered her breath, bent her waist, and landed a solid punch against Shirayuki's body.
A tremendous force surged through her.
Shirayuki was sent flying sideways. After rolling several times across the floor, she lay there without moving.
Yaeno Muteki froze for a few seconds, then hurriedly ran over.
"Shirayuki!"
She helped Shirayuki up and quickly asked, "Are you all right?"
"I'm… mostly fine…"
The protective gear over her stomach had caved inward.
Yaeno Muteki had used her full strength just now.
That was because Shirayuki's evasive movement was no longer something a beginner could perform. For an instant, Yaeno Muteki had treated her as a true opponent and instinctively used a finishing move. Fortunately, the plate armor Shirayuki wore had blocked that punch for her.
Otherwise, she definitely would have fainted on the spot.
After taking a few breaths, Shirayuki wiped away her sweat and climbed back up.
"You really surprised me…" Yaeno Muteki could not help but sigh.
She had not expected Shirayuki to understand the mysteries of the body in such a short amount of time.
No movement was completed by a single body part alone.
Take that dodge just now, for example. An ordinary person would only move their upper body, or only twist their waist. But Shirayuki had simultaneously used her shoulders and ankles. That was what made her movement look so smooth and swift.
Running was the same.
It was not only about using the strength of the legs. Their arms, waist, and even toes could all become driving forces that pushed them forward.
It was a full-body movement, not something limited to a single part.
It sounded simple when put into words, but even if this were explained to someone else, they still might not understand it. They had to personally attempt it and feel that state through their own body. And depending on each person's physical qualities, someone with poor coordination might never understand it in their entire life.
Yet Shirayuki had managed to do it in half a month.
"I guess I also… found a special method on my side."
Shirayuki smiled.
Aside from Yaeno Muteki, there was an even more powerful opponent waiting for her at night. Every time, Shirayuki ran until she was half-unconscious. But precisely because of that, she had come to understand what that person meant.
"Abandon complicated thoughts and entrust your body to its most primitive sensations."
Just now, Shirayuki had relied on instinct for almost half of her movements without thinking.
Sometimes, thinking too much would instead slow the body down.
Of course, Shirayuki also knew that Yaeno Muteki was not praising her because her strength had increased. Rather, it was because her state had transformed. After all, they had just seen it. If Yaeno Muteki went all out, she only needed one move to knock Shirayuki to the ground and leave her unable to stand.
But from the very beginning, Shirayuki had already decided.
She had entered the dojo for the sake of racing.
Not to become invincible under heaven.
It was enough as long as she learned what she needed.
"I thought it would already be good if you learned the basics during this period. At this pace, there might actually be hope."
Yaeno Muteki calculated quietly. Shirayuki could already feel how strength flowed through the body. For the remaining time, she only needed to refine it further.
Although Shirayuki had refused her, Yaeno Muteki had already begun to see her as half a junior disciple.
After all, what Shirayuki was learning was the body-control method of the Kongou Yaegaki-ryu, a martial art passed down through Yaeno Muteki's family for generations.
If Shirayuki could truly use this ability well and ultimately make it shine on the racetrack, then Yaeno Muteki would have fulfilled the promise she had made to her grandparents.
The promise to make her family's martial arts flourish once more.
She helped Shirayuki up and gently patted her shoulder.
"That will be all for today. Go back and rest properly."
"Yes."
"Also, since you have already reached this level, the difficulty of training will increase from now on. Prepare yourself to get injured."
Shirayuki swallowed and nodded.
"This is something I asked Shihandai for."
Yaeno Muteki handed Shirayuki an earthy-yellow ticket.
"There is a medicinal bathhouse in the town below. Go soak your body there. Training like this every day makes it easy for bruising and stagnant blood to build up. If too much accumulates, it will cause aching pain. You do not want your whole body to suddenly start hurting during a race, do you?"
Shirayuki accepted the medicinal bath ticket. After hesitating a few times, she asked, "How should I repay you, Yaeno-senpai?"
Right now, she was completely one-sidedly receiving benefits from Yaeno Muteki. If she did not do something in return, her heart would not be at ease. She would not even be able to sleep peacefully at night.
"Repay me, hm…"
Yaeno Muteki thought for a moment.
"In that case, call me Shijou once."
"Shijou."
Yaeno Muteki smiled. She patted Shirayuki's head, gave her a few more reminders, then left the dojo.
…
"Shirayuki, you don't even take that thing off when you're eating?"
Gold Ship slurped her noodles, pointing at the protective gear on Shirayuki's body as she could not help but comment. After Fujiwara Chiya agreed to accompany her out for fun, Gold Ship's mood had improved quite a bit, and she no longer spent all day yelling about wanting to go back.
The only one suffering was Fujiwara Chiya's wallet.
The money Gold Ship spent at the arcade all came from him. Once, Gold Ship used a claw machine and caught five plushies in a single attempt, only for all five to fall. She was so angry she almost smashed the machine. In the end, Chiya had stuffed all the loose change in his pocket into it and, relying on his awful skills, forcefully scraped out one plushie.
Only then was Gold Ship satisfied.
If he treated it as a date, spending a little money would not be a big deal.
But was there really anyone in this world who would go on a date with Gold Ship?
Fujiwara Chiya could not imagine what kind of brain circuitry a person would need to find Gold Ship feminine and charming.
"I'm already used to it," Shirayuki said casually.
"So you've already turned into a masochist… How pitiful."
The corner of Shirayuki's brow twitched.
"By the way, Trainer, we've already been training for this long, and Shirayuki is half-dead from exhaustion. Shouldn't we find some time to rest?"
You're the last person who should be saying that.
Right now, the most relaxed person here was definitely Gold Ship.
"I heard from the people at the arcade that on the twentieth, the town will hold a spring karuta tournament. Let's go take a look!"
"What's so interesting about karuta?"
Fujiwara Chiya had no interest in that kind of traditional game.
"Karuta! There's actually karuta!"
Matikane Fukukitaru's ears perked up, and she stood.
"It's great fortune. Great fortune, Trainer-san!"