Chapter 7: Festival
I kept swinging my sword until the crack of dawn, the still eternally grey sky momentarily pierced by soft rays of sunlight, the only indication I had that time was flowing.
Still, nothing. No matter how long I swung my sword nothing happened, no enhanced swing and no water.
I decided to stop and read the book once again, hoping for an answer. Alas I got none, not even after reading the boring and convoluted philosophical piece at the beginning of the book.
With all my options depleted, I either had to keep swinging my sword or look for another way.
'Getting gramps to teach me is out of the question. Besides, whenever I swing the sword, I feel there's something missing.' I thought, while replaying my 'fight' with my grandpa.
"Fuck I don't get it." I exhaled, burying my face in my palms. "Am I too weak, too small?"
Then I remembered what my grandpa said
"I am going to kill myself, how could I miss something so entirely obvious. I really am clueless"
I didn't feel any special attachment to sword arts or anything of the sort. All I knew is that I wanted to get stronger, to live a more eventful life this time around.
'I want power, but apparently I don't want it so much to actually stop and think.'
What I had missed is the application of total concentration breathing in sword techniques. Afterall, my dad's training included nothing of the sort.
I took a deep breath in, absorbing the maximum amount of oxygen my body could take. Then I made a powerful, yet graceful swing.
'Total concentration, Water breathing, first form: Water surface slash'
Around my blade, I saw small water currents flowing in the direction I swung. I could feel the power behind my strike, even though I had nothing to cut.
Immediately after my swing, my hands dropped the sword. The muscles in my arms started spasming and hurt as though they were cast on fire. I held back the urge to scream in pain, biting my lower lip until it bled so that no sound would escape.
Tears filled my eyes when I fell on my knees, hunched over with my forehead against the floor of my futon, fighting the pain until I passed out a few minutes later.
"I need to train more" I sighed, being rudely awoken by sunlight.
I decided to put off training water breathing, I would still practice the movements, but without any breathing technique. I also tried keeping total concentration on at all times, something which significantly boosted my physical capabilities.
A year later and my mind was going to explode. I had followed the same exact routine for the better part of 2 years, never leaving my house except to train. I wanted to get out and escape the stuffy atmosphere. After all, it had been almost 10 years and I never stepped foot outside the mansion grounds.
I simply wanted to explore what was out there and get a break from the monotony. Because if I didn't, I would surely lose my mind. I did want this life to be a little more exciting than my last, but so far, all I got was a sedentary life where I couldn't even leave my house.
'A little night stroll won't hurt anyone ' I thought to myself.
I packed my sword and tucked it into my waistband with the guard resting against it. By then I was taller, so the scabbard didn't reach the ground while I walked anymore.
I swiftly made my way through the corridors of the house, finding the exit that leads to the training grounds.
'Fuck its locked. What now' I couldn't just smash through the door, though I probably could have.
I retraced my steps and walked into the garden. I then climbed one of the wisteria trees and leaped onto the roof of the house. With my enhanced physical abilities, scaling a building or two wasn't much of a challenge.
I ran along the rooftops, making my footsteps completely silent. I managed to run the whole length of the mansion in a few seconds then dropped into one of the surrounding yards of the servants quarters from which I ran in the direction of the encompassing walls.
Once I reached the walls I encountered my second problem. Guards
'Damn you all' I inwardly screamed as I made my way up the wall and landed on the back of one of the guards. In complete silence of course.
"Shh shh shh" I whispered to the man before interlocking my fingers and smashing down on his head, holding back some strength.
"I'm sorry, don't tell anyone about this, though you probably can't hear me"
"Oh right I almost forgot"
I tied up the guard so in the event that he did wake up, he wouldn't make a scene.
"Sweet dreams"
I was surrounded by tightly packed together mansions, but couldn't spot any semblance of a crowd.
There had been a reason why I chose this night specially. I heard servants discussing an event, a so-called 'night parade of the 100 demons', so I decided to check it out as a first outing.
The night parade of one hundred demons was originally a Japanese folklore tale about, well, it's in the title but in this world people seem to treat it as more of a festival to ward off evil spirits, something akin to Halloween i'd guess.
I walked around the empty, barely illuminated streets of the town until I located a crowd of people down the street, all wearing masks and holding lanterns in their hands.
I waited until they passed me and then joined the crowd from behind. Hopefully they headed towards the festival
'I haven't seen a street this bright in ages' I thought to myself as I started at the street chock-full of stalls and people, illuminated by hundreds of lamps and floating sky lanterns tethered to the ground.
The festival was made up of 1 long strip through which people and different performers would traverse across, with food and entertainment stalls adorning its sides.
"Hey kid, wanna buy a mask?" A man shouted from behind a stall
I pointed at myself
"Yes, you come here" He reassured
I approached the stall, looking at the assortments of masks. A blue kitsune mask caught my attention.
"I'd like this one" I said, pointing at the mask
"Thats gonna cost ya. 5000 yen, whaddya say kid. It's a fair price"
"Are you trying to rob me blind old man? Screw off, I'll give you 500 for it"
"Ah what a feisty kid. You trying to negotiate with me huh? Seems to me like you're broke."
"But he could pay with that" Another pot bellied man, pointing at my sword
I brought my hand to my hip, placing it on the scabbard of the katana. I slightly pushed the guard of the sword up, flashing the blade at the men behind the stall.
"All right kid, no need to get worked up, 2000 yen and it's yours. I really can't go any lower or you'll really be robbing me here ok?"
I placed my right hand on the hilt of the sword while looking the man dead in the eye.
"Ok, how about we relax huh. 800, final offer, really. If you draw that blade again, there'll be consequences, you don't wanna make enemies so early in life I'm telling you"
The second man still looked at my sword with greed, almost frothing at the mouth.
I gladly took the man up on his offer, buying the mask for 800 yen.
'What a steal. I love having a sword'
I buzzed around the festival stalls, buying as much food as I could. When I finished visiting all the stalls, I sat down next to a stall that provided chairs and watched the crowd slowly go past.
'This is the life' I thought as I watched the crowd occasionally scurry away from the center of the street, making way for the performers marching down in elaborate costumes and masks. Eye catchingly beautiful dances and acts could be observed as they moved further and further down the street, drawing every gaze towards them.
When the performance was over, I snapped out of my trance and got up. When I reached for my sword which I propped against the table, it was gone. I searched over and under the table but it was gone.
Then I saw a lanky individual pushing his way through the crowd carrying my very conspicuous snow white sword.
I got up in a flash and followed him through the crowds of people.
"Come back here you piece of shit" I yelled at the top of my lungs while pushing people out of my way.
'I can't lose it, if I want my head to still be attached to my shoulders that is'
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone