Chapter 4
"Grip, Stance, and the Four Ways to Fight"
The Sato House — Before Sunrise
Day one of actual training. The village is still dark. Even the rooster hasn't committed yet.
CREAK
The bedroom door opens. Hiruma is already dressed, hair unbrushed, sandals in hand so his footsteps don't wake anyone.
He looks at Ayato's bedroll.
It's empty.
HIRUMA
(Whispering.)
"...When did he—"
He pads out to the main room. Ayato is sitting at the table, fully dressed, eating a cold rice ball, reading by candlelight. He looks up.
AYATO
"You're slow."
HIRUMA
"It's not even sunrise—"
AYATO
"Senri-san said sunrise. We should be there before sunrise."
HIRUMA
"That's what Ryoken-san said — early is on time."
AYATO
"He's not wrong."
HIRUMA
"You are going to be insufferable at this, aren't you."
AYATO
"Probably. Eat something. Let's go."
Senri's Training Ground — Just Before Sunrise
The sky is deep purple at the edges. Cold enough to see breath. The training ground — a flat patch of packed earth behind Senri's house, edged by a low fence — is quiet.
Touma is there. He arrived exactly at sunrise. He is visibly annoyed to find two eight-year-olds already waiting in the dark.
TOUMA
"...You're already here."
HIRUMA
"Good morning, Touma-san!"
TOUMA
"How long have you been here?"
AYATO
"About twenty minutes."
TOUMA
"It's not even—"
AYATO
"Early is on time."
TOUMA
"..."
( I hate them a little bit. )
CREAK
Senri's back door opens. He steps out, already dressed, already composed, cup of tea in hand. He looks at the twins. Looks at the sky. Looks back at the twins.
SENRI
"You're early."
HIRUMA
"Yes sir."
SENRI
"Good."
He sips his tea. Says nothing else for a moment. The sky slowly begins to lighten.
SENRI
"Stand where you were yesterday. Same positions."
The twins step onto the packed earth and find their spots. They plant their feet. Try to hold the stance Senri showed them — weight balanced, shoulders low, spine straight.
...
Senri walks around them slowly. Studying. He nudges Hiruma's left foot two inches to the right with his own. He presses two fingers between Ayato's shoulders until the boy straightens the last few degrees.
SENRI
"Hold it."
They hold it.
And hold it.
And hold it.
...
HIRUMA
(After a full minute, through his teeth.)
"Sensei. When do we get to the swords."
SENRI
"When your legs stop shaking."
HIRUMA
"They're not shaking."
SENRI
"Your left knee is."
HIRUMA
"That's just how my knee looks."
SENRI
"Hold the stance, Hiruma."
HIRUMA
"Yes, Sensei."
Touma, running footwork drills along the fence line, glances over. The twins are red in the face. Stance work looks easy. It is not easy.
( Hm. They're not complaining. Well — Hiruma's complaining, but he's still doing it. )
Training Ground — An Hour Later
Senri has decided they are ready for the next thing. He disappears inside and returns carrying two short wooden practice swords — lighter than the real ones, sized for smaller hands.
THWAK
He sets them on the ground in front of the twins.
HIRUMA
(Eyes lighting up.)
"Finally—"
SENRI
"Don't pick them up yet."
HIRUMA
"..."
SENRI
"Look at them first. What do you notice?"
Hiruma stares at his. A wooden rod — straight, blunted, wrapped in cord at one end for grip.
HIRUMA
"It's a sword. A small one."
SENRI
"Ayato."
AYATO
(Crouching, studying it closely.)
"The grip is wrapped tight but not all the way to the end. There's a gap at the base. And the weight sits toward the tip, not the handle."
SENRI
"Correct. Why does that matter?"
AYATO
"If the weight is at the tip, a loose grip lets the blade travel further on a swing. A tight grip gives more control over direction."
SENRI
"Exactly."
He picks up a practice sword and holds it out, grip facing the twins.
SENRI
"Pick yours up. Hold it however feels natural."
They do.
Hiruma grabs his firmly — full fist, knuckles white, like he's preventing it from escaping.
Ayato holds his more loosely. Two fingers at the base of the grip, the rest lightly curved.
SENRI
"Hiruma. Relax your hand."
HIRUMA
"I am relaxed."
SENRI
"Your grip is hard enough to crack the wood."
HIRUMA
"I want to make sure it doesn't fly out."
SENRI
"A tight grip tires your forearm in thirty seconds. In a real fight, thirty seconds is everything."
"The sword is not something you hold onto. It is something you guide."
He steps behind Hiruma. Adjusts his hand — two fingers loosened, thumb repositioned along the flat.
SENRI
"Feel the difference?"
HIRUMA
"...It feels like I might drop it."
SENRI
"You won't. Your arm knows how to hold things. You don't need to crush it to keep it. Now swing — slow, horizontal, toward that post."
WHOOSH
Hiruma swings. Loose grip. The blade travels further, cleaner — he can feel it even if he can't name it yet.
HIRUMA
"Oh."
SENRI
"Yes. Oh."
He moves to Ayato. Studies the grip.
SENRI
"Yours is almost right."
AYATO
"Almost?"
SENRI
"Your index finger is doing too much work. It wants to lead the blade. Let the wrist lead — the finger follows."
Ayato adjusts. Microscopic change.
SENRI
"Better. Swing."
WHOOSH
Cleaner. Quieter through the air.
( The resistance in my wrist is gone. It's like the blade already knows its direction and I'm just confirming it. )
Training Ground — Later. Water Break.
Touma is resting against the fence. The twins sit on the ground, swords across their knees, breathing steadily. Senri stands, unbothered by the morning's work.
HIRUMA
"Sensei. Can I ask something?"
SENRI
"You're going to regardless. Go ahead."
HIRUMA
"Are there different ways to fight with a sword? Like — different styles?"
SENRI
"Why do you ask?"
HIRUMA
"The way you fought Touma-san — you barely moved. He was moving constantly. It looked like two completely different approaches."
A slight pause. The kind that means the question was better than expected.
SENRI
"Yes. There are four recognized sword styles. Each is a complete discipline on its own."
He sits. For the first time all morning, he sits.
The twins straighten up without being told to.
SENRI
"The first is Iron Style."
[IRON STYLE] The style of raw force. Head-on strikes, direct pressure, overwhelming the opponent through power and momentum. It rewards strength and aggression. Simple to learn, brutally hard to master. Widely used in armies — it works in large formations where subtlety is a liability.
TOUMA
(Under his breath.)
"That's basically what I do."
SENRI
"That is basically what you do. The second style is Whisper Style."
[WHISPER STYLE] The opposite of Iron. No wasted motion, no direct confrontation. Fluid redirection — using the opponent's own force against them. Requires reading intent before the opponent moves. Takes years to develop correctly. Devastating against stronger opponents. Nearly useless if you're flustered.
HIRUMA
"That's what YOU use, Sensei."
SENRI
"Partially. I trained in it for twenty years. I am still learning it."
HIRUMA
"Twenty YEARS?!"
SENRI
"Some styles are not learned. They are accumulated. The third is Dual Style."
[DUAL STYLE] Two blades, managed simultaneously. Not simply attacking with both hands — it is about independent control, reading and responding to two separate defensive and offensive lines at once. Extremely difficult. Most practitioners spend the first several years simply learning to think in two directions at the same time.
AYATO
"Two directions at once — you mean spatial awareness on both sides of the body simultaneously?"
SENRI
"Precisely. Most people have a dominant side. Dual Style demands you dismantle it entirely."
( Your brain has to be rewired. Not just your hands. )
SENRI
"The fourth is Sting Style."
[STING STYLE] Built not on power, but on precision. Targets the body's weak points — nerve clusters, joints, pressure points along the limbs and torso. A single strike in the right place can temporarily disable an arm. Two can end a fight entirely. Requires deep anatomical knowledge. Considered the most dangerous style in close quarters.
Silence.
The twins are very still.
HIRUMA
"You can disable someone's arm just by hitting the right spot?"
SENRI
"If you know where. And if your timing is exact."
HIRUMA
"That's—"
AYATO
"Terrifying."
HIRUMA
"I was going to say incredible."
AYATO
"Both."
TOUMA
(Quietly, from the fence.)
"It's a lot to take in the first time."
HIRUMA
"Touma-san. Which one are you learning?"
TOUMA
"Iron, mostly. Some Whisper basics. Sensei says I need to fix my Iron foundation before touching anything else."
HIRUMA
"Which one are YOU, Sensei?"
SENRI
"That question takes time to answer properly. Later."
HIRUMA
"Which one should WE learn?"
SENRI
"None of them. Yet."
HIRUMA
"But—"
SENRI
"Choosing a style before understanding the fundamentals is choosing a house before you've laid the foundation. It means nothing. It breaks under pressure."
"You will learn grip. Stance. Footwork. Weight transfer. Basic strikes. Basic defence. All of it — without a style attached to it."
"When you understand what your body does and how it moves — when it is second nature — then we discuss style."
HIRUMA
"How long does that take?"
SENRI
"Depends on you."
HIRUMA
"Give me a number."
SENRI
"No."
HIRUMA
"Ballpark—"
SENRI
"Back to stance. Both of you."
HIRUMA
"Yes, Sensei."
( He didn't say a number because the number isn't what matters. What matters is whether we do the work. )
( ...I still want to know the number. )
Training Ground — End of Session
The sun is fully up. The village has been awake for hours. From somewhere over the fence comes the smell of midday cooking fires.
Senri calls the session. The twins lower their practice swords — arms tired, legs sore, faces damp with sweat.
SENRI
"Enough for today. Leave the practice swords on the rack. Same time tomorrow."
HIRUMA
"Yes, Sensei."
AYATO
"Yes, Sensei."
Senri goes inside without ceremony. The back door closes.
Touma hangs his sword on the rack and rolls his shoulders. He looks at the twins sideways.
TOUMA
"You two held up."
HIRUMA
(Surprised.)
"Yeah?"
TOUMA
"Most people complain through stance work. You only complained a little."
HIRUMA
"I complained a normal amount."
TOUMA
"For you, maybe."
He starts to walk off. Then stops. Doesn't quite turn around.
TOUMA
"The four styles. Did any stand out to you?"
HIRUMA
"All of them, honestly. But Iron first. It felt direct. Like something I'd naturally do."
TOUMA
"Hm."
AYATO
"Sting Style."
TOUMA
"...Really."
AYATO
"Knowing where to hit is more valuable than hitting hard. In theory."
TOUMA
"You're eight."
AYATO
"Does that change the logic?"
Touma stares at him for a moment. Then he makes a sound that is almost — almost — a laugh.
TOUMA
"Come back tomorrow. Don't be late."
HIRUMA
"We'll be early."
TOUMA
(Already walking.)
"I know. That's annoying. Do it anyway."
The twins walk home through the waking village. Arms aching. Hands stiff from gripping. Minds full of four styles they don't yet know and a foundation they've only just begun to build.
HIRUMA
"Ayato."
AYATO
"What."
HIRUMA
"This is going to take forever, isn't it."
AYATO
"Yes."
HIRUMA
"...Good."
Ayato glances at him.
AYATO
"Good?"
HIRUMA
"If it was easy, everyone would do it."
A beat. Ayato looks forward again.
AYATO
"...Yeah."
( Yeah. )
— * —
End of Chapter 4