Chapter 15 (Patreon)

“Your breathing!” I lightly touch the hollow between her collarbones with my index finger. “I can see and hear that you’re breathing wrong, Katase-chan. And if you’re breathing wrong, your stance is wrong. A proper stance is the only foundation for proper breathing, and proper breathing follows naturally from a proper stance.”

I take a few steps around the girl until I’m looking at her from the side. Good—she doesn’t turn her head to follow me. The kendo club girls welcomed me warmly, despite their team’s fearsome reputation and the psychological damage inflicted by the Pervert Trio. They even seemed a little excited. Not right away, of course. Things were tense at first.

When we met as teacher and students, I learned why none of the girls had tried to recruit me before.

The first reason: Katase Yui had spent some time asking around about me through her own contacts. The kendo team had suffered plenty thanks to our Ise and his buddies. And every other boy who’d wanted to join the club had shown no interest in kendo and had only wanted to get close to someone on the team. I couldn’t blame them. The girls were pretty and athletic, and their kendo uniforms… Well, I liked seeing girls dressed that way too. Aesthetically pleasing, you understand.

So the girls began to wonder whether I’d spun a pack of lies to everyone, including our homeroom teacher, just to worm my way into their club. Yui-chan made a few calls to her friends and asked her grandfather to find out about me; he knew some retired kendo practitioners. They asked people they knew, who asked others… In the end, Katase-san got confirmation that a certain Chiba Taro really was Goto-san’s direct disciple—and that he was studying not only kendo under him, but kenjutsu as well.*

The second reason: Goto-san was an out-and-out chauvinist. To him, a girl holding a shinai was a contradiction in terms; a girl holding a sword was practically an insult. He didn’t hesitate to tell his students so, spouting jokes about women’s place in the world: their only battlefield was the kitchen, and their only weapon was a kitchen knife.

To be honest, I mostly didn’t give a damn what he said. I was learning from a kendo master, not taking life lessons from him. I was a little surprised to hear that sort of talk from a man who’d come so far along the “Way of the Sword,” though. And deep down, I couldn’t help smirking at the thought of a female cultivator hearing him—a woman strong enough to splatter an army with a single technique. Literally splatter it into a runny red slurry of blood and shit. I doubt anything would be left of Goto-san but a stain on his dojo wall.

So the second reason was also why the captain went to Sona-san instead of approaching me. Katase wanted to know whether my master’s views were the reason I hadn’t joined the school club, and their conversation somehow turned into a request. Well, “somehow” is doing a lot of work there. My Lady saw an opportunity for the club and the school and promptly offered Katase Yui her help in negotiating with me.

After that… I came to the club, sparred with each of the girls a couple of times, and showed them what I was made of. Once they’d seen my skill for themselves, they treated me with respect, though they were still a little wary. Why wary? Hmm… I’d blame the Pervert Trio and all the other creeps who’d harassed them. The girls came to practice kendo, not look for romance. The “Way of the Sword” is more than a sport; it’s a philosophy, and that much-vaunted “inner peace” helps you grasp it. But how are you supposed to find any peace of mind when you’re changing clothes, worried that some pervert is snuffling away as he peeps at you and paws at the crotch of his pants?

“Shizen-tai is a natural, stable, balanced stance that lets you move freely, quickly, and precisely in response to your opponent. I doubt I’m telling you anything new, but still. The key points are: feet slightly apart, toes pointing forward, weight centered between your feet, back naturally straight, hips tucked in, lower abdomen slightly engaged, chin tucked, face forward, neck and shoulders relaxed, arms a little in front of the body. You’ve got all of that right, Katase-chan, except your neck and shoulders aren’t relaxed. That’s why your breathing is off. Relax your shoulders. There, good. Your neck too. Relax it, I said! All right, hold on.”

I move around her and stand behind her. The school team’s captain wears her pink hair in a high ponytail during practice, leaving her neck exposed. I place my palm at the base of her neck. A quiet murmur runs through the girls, and even the captain gives a slight start.

“Too much air conditioning?” I carefully feel the unnaturally tight muscle with my fingertips. The tension has nothing to do with an unfamiliar boy touching her skin. “Why didn’t you tell me it hurt?”

“I didn’t think… Ow!”

“Bear with it for a moment.” I could take the pain away with a touch, using a pulse of qi to ease the inflammation, but I don’t want to… give myself away. So I gently massage the muscle with the pads of my thumbs, slowly working my qi into it. Barely ten seconds. “There. Still hurt?”

“N-no.” Surprised, she cautiously turns her head from side to side. “Thank you, Chiba-kun.”

“No problem, Katase-chan. Be careful around air conditioners. Now, let’s try that stance again. Nothing should be bothering you this time.”

Two hours of training… go by like any other training session. It’s much the same as what I do at Goto-san’s dojo as his senior student. The only difference is that I train boys there, while here I have lovely girls. I don’t cut them any slack, though. First, I sincerely believe that anyone who picks up a weapon should know how to use it properly. Second, as I’ve said before, kendo is a path and a philosophy. There’s no point going easy on someone trying to follow it. They’d never get anywhere.

To their credit, the girls don’t ask for special treatment. They throw themselves into training with all the effort and enthusiasm they have. Having seen what they can do, I’m optimistic: they’re solid intermediate students, and I have plenty to work with. I’d worried at first that the girls might not take kendo seriously, but thank Leviathan-sama, I worried for nothing.

“Thank you so much, Chiba-san.” Katase comes out to see me off and bows respectfully. She’s even changed the honorific.

“You’re welcome, Katase-chan.” I smile. “I hope I can help you all prepare for the competitions. Sitori-sama wants your team to win, so let’s do our best.”

“Absolutely.” Her smile lights up with anticipation. “I’m sorry we’re taking up your time. Please pass along the club’s thanks to the President.”

“I certainly will. Have a good day, Katase-chan.”

“You too, Chiba-san.”

“Taro-kun, are you sure?”

Sona-san and I stand at the edge of a sheer cliff, looking out over the dense green forest below. You’d never guess we’re in the Underworld. Life flourishes everywhere, the scenery is beautiful, and even the birds are singing. Not how I’d pictured the “wild” territories of Hell.

“I don’t think there’ll be any trouble.” I have a few doubts, but they’re mostly about whether the monsters waiting below will be of any use to me. I’m confident in my own strength.

“Try not to die.” She shoots me a quick glance, with a trace of worry in her eyes.

“Don’t worry about this practitioner, my beautiful Lady.” I give her a warm smile. “The last thing I’d want is to upset you.”

I give her a brief bow in farewell, then simply leap off the cliff and spread my wings. The wind carries the scent of damp earth and the musk of wild beasts up to me. The hunt awaits.

House Sitri has kept its promise. Earlier today, after school, Sona-san showed me a neat two-story house, a medium-sized training ground, and three more buildings: one each for a forge, a workshop, and an alchemy lab. The house was ready to move into, fully furnished and with the refrigerator stocked with food. All I’d asked for were buildings for the forge and the lab. House Sitri had taken the matter seriously and been generous, once again convincing me I’d made the right choice.

“Nice,” I think, warmth stirring in me as I picture the girl with violet eyes.

Of course, it’s a way to bind me to the House. A sort of advance, meant to make me feel indebted. But it’s still nice. I have a little place of my own now, even if it’s in Hell. The Underworld looks like a far more promising place to live: I won’t have to hide, the local beasts ought to provide plenty of valuable organs, and there are all sorts of interesting plants whose properties I can’t wait to study.

That’s exactly what I intend to do now. Well, prepare for the studying part by gathering herbs and gutting a few critters. Dangerous critters, according to Sona-san. We’ll see who’s more dangerous.

“Sona?” Tsubaki looked at her Lady with concern. “Would you like some tea?”

“Yes, please.” Sona nodded and gave her vice president a grateful smile.

“You’re worrying for nothing, Sona-san.” Momo turned a page of her book. “Taro-kun will be fine.”

“Maybe our Lady is worried about the poor forest critters?” Tsubasa chuckled. “I would be. Taro-sensei… gets carried away sometimes.”

“You’re that confident in him?” Tsubaki’s expression was hard to read.

“Well…” The Rook thought for a couple of seconds. “He’s strong. Much stronger than me. A true master. I can only go by what I’ve seen, of course, but of all of us, only Sona-san and you, Tsubaki, might be able to beat him. And even then…”

“Even then…?” The heir to House Sitri looked at Tsubasa expectantly, prompting her to finish the thought.

“Um…” Tsubasa grew flustered with everyone else in the student council office watching her. “Sensei says having a… big stick isn’t enough. You have to know how to use it. ‘Even a blade that can cut through anything won’t wound you if its wielder can’t hit you.’ That’s how he put it. ‘A sharp, cunning mind, and the ability to use it in battle—that’s what makes a practitioner truly dangerous.’ And Sensei knows how to use his head. When we spar, even if he matches my speed… I can’t land a hit unless he lets me. Taro-san has all sorts of sneaky little tricks… And sometimes they really piss me off! Even when he isn’t using them, I still can’t catch him off guard. So I don’t think the beasts will give him much trouble.”

“You believe in him,” Sona said with a smile.

“Of course.” Tsubasa nodded seriously. “How could I not believe in my teacher? He hasn’t given me any reason to doubt him.”

“That’s because our Lady has never let me face him,” the Queen said with a snort, taking a sip of tea.

“Ooh, Tsubaki…” The Rook giggled and cast a sly glance at their Lady. “Has it occurred to you that maybe that’s because…”

“Tsubaki,” Sona interrupted. “You have a client.”

“Ah, well.” The vice president sighed and set her teacup aside. “We’ll finish this later. Don’t forget what you were going to say.”

Tsubaki rose and stepped into an open part of the room. She gave herself a careful once-over in the mirror on the wall, smoothed a crease in her skirt, then vanished in the reddish glow of a teleportation circle that flared beneath her feet.

“Tsubasa-chan,” the president said, drawing the Rook’s attention.

“Yes, my Lady?”

“That thought of yours—forget it, all right?”

“Uh…” Flustered, Tsubasa exchanged a glance with Momo. “O-okay, Sona-san.”

“Thank you.” The heir to House Sitri smiled warmly. “Taro-kun is strong, that’s true, but Tsubaki is very proud. I don’t want anyone in my family quarreling or getting hurt trying to prove something when there’s no need.”

“I-I understand.” Tsubasa bowed her head. “I’m sorry, Sona-san.”

“Nonsense.” The president waved it off. “You have nothing to apologize for. Though I believe someone is about to be late…”

Sona glanced at the clock. Five minutes remained until Taro was due back. She… she really was worried about him. For all his strength, speed, and confidence, the forest where he was hunting was dangerous.

Of course, she hadn’t forgotten that her servant was further from “ordinary” than any reincarnated devil she knew. He was a Daoist who had lived so long that even he struggled to say roughly how many years it had been.

“After your tenth life, you sort of stop counting,” Taro had said with a shrug when they were having tea together, just the two of them. “And the worlds… I kept being born into cultivation worlds, and the basic idea behind them was absurdly similar. The cultivation methods, alchemy recipes, beasts, and plants differed. Eventually, those differences felt like nothing more than a change of scenery when moving to another country. Memories blur, too. You try to remember cultivation techniques as thoroughly as you can, along with the principles of alchemy, things that matter in most worlds, and events so vivid they leave more than a mark on your memory. They leave Godzilla’s footprint. The rest… I doubt I could tell you the names of comrades I fought beside a few lifetimes ago, and I certainly couldn’t name the world we were in. For all I know, the comrades I think I remember are a jumble of people from different worlds…”

“That’s a little hurtful,” Sona said, answering Taro with a smile touched by genuine sadness. For some reason, the thought of fading from the memory of someone in her family—and her clan truly was family to her—upset her.

“Oh, Sona-san.” He hid a warm smile behind his teacup as he took a sip. “I don’t intend to leave you. Not by choice, at least. And I doubt I could forget you or your beauty even if I wanted to.”

“Again?” She looked away, a little embarrassed. “You don’t have to flatter me.”

She knew she was beautiful. Hard to deny it when she ranked third among the school’s beauties. Back home in the Underworld, she’d heard plenty of compliments and caught plenty of admiring looks, too. But Taro always said it right to her face with such brazen certainty, as though it weren’t his opinion but an indisputable fact. That flustered her. So did the sheer number of compliments. Taro didn’t merely offer them—he PILED them on, until she felt she might suffocate beneath their weight. That flustered her too. And, for some reason, it didn’t annoy her.

“Flattery isn’t sincere. I’m being completely honest.” Her servant met her eyes with a serious look. “I see no point in wasting my breath just to please someone. You, my Lady, are generous and gracious without any tricks on my part.”

A thought seemed to strike Taro, and he gave a brief, cheerful laugh. Sona raised an eyebrow in surprise, despite the fresh wave of embarrassment—and the strange satisfaction—his words had brought her.

“I just realized Ise is the only person I actually flatter,” he explained.

“Really?” The heir to House Sitri looked surprised. “I thought you two had become friends.”

“We’re classmates, and he belongs to the House of my Lady’s friend. At first, I was simply polite to him as an ally. Friendship… No, Sona-san, I wouldn’t call it friendship on my part. I’m trying, as best I can, to change Hyoudou’s behavior so I can stand being around him. He’s not a bad guy, but his aura of cringe casts a shadow over everyone nearby. Fortunately, Issei-kun responds well to praise, and it’s easy to motivate him by pointing out that girls like the changes in his behavior.”

“So you’re manipulating him,” Sona concluded.

“I’m a devil and an ancient Daoist. Of course I’m manipulating him.” Taro chuckled, grinning at her. “And I’m not even ashamed of it. You could say I’m sparing him some agonizing embarrassment later in life.”

Sona had given him a knowing smile. Rias’s newest servant was… a colorful character, and a complicated one. She hardly regretted missing out on his Sacred Gear. She and the girls would have struggled to put up with some of Issei-kun’s… peculiarities.

“There we go,” Momo said with a satisfied smile as a teleportation circle appeared, pulling Sona out of her memories. “Right on time.”

Chiba Taro appeared in the room just as Sona let out a sigh of relief. But the state of him…

“Hi, everyone!” The Rook’s face shone with happiness.

“Taro-kun!” Momo even set her book aside, staring at him in astonishment. “What happened to you?!”

“I got eaten!” Chiba Taro announced with a wide, delighted grin. Then he held up two fingers. “Twice!”

“Um…” Sona couldn’t think of a response. Her Rook was dressed in rags, covered in dried blood and other things besides. And the smell coming off him…

“Right, uh…” The boy grew embarrassed under the president’s gaze. “My Lady, I’m sorry about how I look. I didn’t have time to clean up. I got a little carried away… Could I go back to my place for a bit, take a shower, and change?”

“You have a change of clothes here, don’t you?” Sona asked with a sigh.

“I do.”

“Use the shower here and get changed.” Sona nodded toward the small student council bathroom. Usually only the girls used it, but this called for an exception. The Academy dormitory had shared showers, and Sona Sitri didn’t want anyone seeing Taro in this state.

“Thank you, Sona-san.” He gave a slight bow, and the sleeve of what had once been his pao, hanging on by a couple of threads, finally fell off.

“See? He got eaten, but he survived. There was nothing to worry about,” Tsubasa said once the shower door had closed behind him.

“His pants are torn…” Momo rubbed the bridge of her nose with two fingers. “I saw his butt cheek. How am I supposed to unsee that?!”

“Hmm… Try not staring at guys’ asses,” Tsubasa said, then laughed at Momo’s indignant look.

“As if you didn’t see it!”

“I did. I’m just not making a big deal out of it.” The Rook winked. “Besides, Sensei just came back from a fight! There’s something appealing about that. Imagine the carnage he caused out there.”

“Has anyone told you that you have strange taste?” Momo shook her head.

“My taste is perfectly normal. I just don’t like guys who are afraid to get their hands dirty.”

“Tsubasa-chan,” Sona interrupted the Rook and Bishop, “you’ve been summoned.”

“Oh! Right. I got carried away. Sorry, Sona-san.” Tsubasa jumped up from her chair. “See you later!”

“Bye-bye.” Momo waved, while Sona gave her a nod and a warm smile.

Notes:

Kenjutsu means “sword technique,” while kendo means “the way of the sword.” Kenjutsu includes older techniques, some of them very dangerous, that aren’t used in kendo. To put it more specifically, kenjutsu is about killing your opponent, while kendo is about inspiring others to live. And yes, I learned all this by reading a couple of articles on the subject. Please don’t kick me if I’ve got anything wrong. :)