That Raiden Mei knew swordsmanship was something Hikari Aoi had already known.
As for the name "Hokushin Itto-ryu," it wasn't within his memory. He hadn't memorized such fine details, nor did he know whether this style possessed any extraordinary power.
After all—
If ordinary people could rely on swordsmanship alone to fight Dead and Honkai Beasts, then Valkyries wouldn't even be necessary.
Hikari Aoi's goal was simple.
He wanted to learn the fundamentals of cutting—
At what angle, with what technique, and with what force a strike would be most effective.
If, in the future, he didn't obtain a blade-type weapon but instead something like Kiana's pistols…
Then he might have to find an opportunity to learn gun-fu from her.
But compared to learning swordsmanship from Raiden Mei—
If he really had to learn gun-fu from that white-haired idiot—
Hikari Aoi felt like he'd just be handing his weaknesses over to her.
Unless absolutely necessary—
Better not.
Besides—
Once Kiana appeared at Senba Academy, his time would be limited.
For now, he could only hope that the weapons laboratory in ME Corp contained a blade-type weapon.
Originally, Hikari Aoi had planned to ask Mei to teach him swordsmanship another day. Tomorrow was Monday—he could use that as an excuse to come see her again.
But the moment he expressed his interest—
Mei rushed off toward the dormitory with surprising enthusiasm.
Not long after, she returned with two bamboo practice swords.
Her decisiveness made Hikari Aoi raise an eyebrow.
"…Is now not okay?"
Mei noticed his expression.
Holding the bamboo swords, she looked slightly dejected.
Hikari Aoi had only been surprised by her efficiency, but seeing her pitiful expression—
How could he possibly refuse?
"Of course it's okay."
Mei immediately broke into a smile.
Then, after a slight pause, she opened her mouth as if wanting to say something—but ultimately said nothing.
She handed one of the bamboo swords to Hikari Aoi and took her stance.
Hikari Aoi didn't understand swordsmanship.
All he could rely on now was his physical ability, which surpassed that of ordinary people—
Strength, speed, perception, and reflexes.
Even with only a Selena (Top)—and not even fully leveled after evolution—his physical condition still completely surpassed that of a normal person.
Against Raiden Mei, who had yet to become a Herrscher—
He managed to maintain an even match purely through physical ability.
And that was with him holding back.
Otherwise—
With his first strike alone, he could have shattered her defensive stance through brute force.
As his sparring partner, Mei understood his condition better than anyone.
And she even felt a trace of envy.
That reaction speed—
Almost allowing him to move after her yet arrive first—
In her eyes, it was nothing short of extraordinary talent.
She could also vaguely sense—
That Hikari Aoi wasn't using his full strength.
Moreover—
At the beginning, his incorrect swinging posture had limited him, allowing only half of his strength to take effect.
But soon—
It seemed he had observed her movements and adjusted.
His mistakes were rapidly decreasing.
Shrinking.
Disappearing.
"…Did you approach me just to learn swordsmanship?"
Mei suddenly asked.
"Mei still doubts my intentions?"
Hikari Aoi put on a pained expression.
"I feel hurt, you know? At least so far, I haven't done anything to harm you."
"Are you really hurt? …I'm sorry."
Mei clearly wasn't used to his exaggerated jokes.
Or perhaps—
Because of her gentle nature, and the sensitivity she had developed after her family's downfall—
She was being overly cautious.
But Hikari Aoi had no intention of changing how he interacted with her.
If he became overly polite—
Their relationship would never progress beyond this point.
A good friend?
Hikari Aoi had no intention of stopping there.
Back when he was just a player, he had spent countless hours, energy, and money raising every Valkyrie's affection to the maximum—
Perfecting their strength.
And now, after actually coming to the Honkai world—
Was he supposed to settle for being just an ordinary friend?
What a joke.
"I've heard that sparring in swordsmanship is also a form of communication."
Hikari Aoi smiled.
"So—through the clash of these bamboo swords, can you feel what I'm feeling?"
"Try guessing… whether I'm really hurt or not."
In truth—
The moment Hikari Aoi said that, Mei already knew he had been joking earlier.
But—
She still closed her eyes.
And began to feel.
Hikari Aoi had expected that once she closed her eyes, her swordsmanship would lose its precision.
He instinctively reduced his strength and slowed his speed, worried about accidentally injuring her.
But—
To his surprise—
Her technique became even more refined.
More complete.
For a moment, Hikari Aoi, who had weakened his attacks, found himself at a disadvantage.
So this… was Hokushin Itto-ryu?
Just as Hikari Aoi focused and prepared to respond seriously—
Mei, still with her eyes closed, murmured softly:
"You're holding back… No… it's more like…"
"There's pressure."
"A lot of pressure."
"This kind of pressure feels strange…"
"Why… are you so obsessed with becoming stronger?"
Her quiet words made Hikari Aoi's grip on the bamboo sword tremble.
He stepped back several paces, widening the distance between them.
"You can really sense someone's emotions through swordsmanship?"
"What kind of god-tier sword style is this Hokushin Itto-ryu?"
Mei opened her deep, dark eyes and looked at him.
Her gaze shifted slightly.
"Didn't you ask me to guess?"
"You know I was joking."
"…So I guessed right?"
She shook her head gently.
"I don't have any mind-reading ability. And Hokushin Itto-ryu isn't that magical."
"I just sensed some inconsistencies."
"I know how much strength you used at the beginning, and what kind of results it produced."
"And I've experienced firsthand how a beginner should feel and behave when making rapid progress."
"But from your sword just now…"
She paused, her voice soft.
"I didn't feel even the slightest bit of pride or joy."
"No happiness at all."
"Only obsession."
"'Stronger… stronger…'"
"…That's what your sword told me."