アプリをダウンロード
53.84% SWORDCRAFT: Reincarnation Of A Nameless Nobody / Chapter 28: The Carved Path

章 28: The Carved Path

In this world, there were three kinds of known Arts used by Practitioners.

Martial Arts used by Warriors

Spirit Arts used by Spiritualists

Beast Arts used by Tamers

These different Arts required different kinds of energies to function. Ki, Mana, and Chi, were respectively used for the three Arts, making them distinct areas of disciplines with hardly any overlap.

Practitioners spent their whole life learning one of these Arts, with their level of proficiency and mastery dependent on their innate talent and affinities. Usually, this would be in tune with where the person was born, and the prevalent Art practiced there.

Though… there were exceptions.

Finally, just as a budding Practioner was taught about the foundational concepts of these Arts, and guided into the path that suited him or her the most, there was something most fundamental that had to be drilled into their heads.

It was impossible to learn more than one!

However, ever since a certain boy began learning of them, he began to have a strange line of thought. It bothered him throughout his training, and often kept him up at night.

A single question resonating within him, begging for an answer.

'Is there no way to have all three?'

*

*

*

"As you know, Liu, all the children in this Sect have the affinity for Martial Arts, so we train them in that discipline. This is because we're in the Eastern Continent, where Martial Arts is prevalent, and the Ki around is very dense. It's very rare to find exceptions."

Hearing Tia speak about these things made Liu ponder even more. It felt restrictive, almost to an unfair extent, that a person's path in the Arts was decided since their birth.

"How rare are the exceptions?" He asked.

"One in a million perhaps."

"A-ah… wow." He was expecting something like 'One in a thousand' or a slightly bigger number.

But weren't the odds too high?

"This only applies to people born here, though. There are certainly a substantial amount of Practitioners who use other kinds of Arts in the Eastern Continent. Ever since the end of the Great Conflict, and the world entered into the 'Era of Peace', so to speak, Sects that practice Arts that aren't indigenous to the East also exist here."

Liu noticed how loosely his master used the word 'Era of Peace'. That was because, despite how relatively better the world had become thanks to the Sword Saint's efforts at ending the conflict all those centuries ago, it was still a messed up place.

There was still so much work to be done, and Yui must have felt so frustrated at being unable to do much to stop the current injustices existing in the world.

'That's why I must grow up quickly. I must be very strong, so I can stand by her side and support her!' He clecnched his fists and kept listening to her words.

"Do you know why I am telling you all of this, Liu?" She broke into a light smile, looking deep into his eyes as if she was peering straight toward his soul.

Liu sharply shook his head.

It had been long established that, just like everyone else in the Sect, Liu had the affinity for Martial Arts. So, other than basic knowledge of the other two, Liu had no real business with them.

'I thought we'd take the next step in my Martial Arts training. Learning Sword Techniques would be nice…'

The fact that his master was going back to the topics of Arts, and all the complexities attached to it, puzzled him.

"I remember telling you that your Spirit, Soul, and Body weren't ready for the next step, despite how many times you petitioned for more advanced training."

Liu remembered those times well. He guessed it was probably because he was lacking, so he put in more effort into training and meditation so he could be qualified for his master's next step.

"The truth is that you are already qualified to start learning advanced techniques. You have been for a while now."

'I knew it!' Liu's thoughts echoed as he head Yui's words.

After trying and trying, he had begun to feel stuck. All his activities felt monotonous and hardly challenging. He felt like his training was beginning to grow stale, predictable, and completely boring.

'Fighting with the seniors is sometimes fun, but I don't think its helping me grow stronger…'

Still, his master must have had a good reason for her decision. She always did. There had to have been something he was lacking that made her unable to take him to the next step.

And it seemed like he was about to find out.

"I thought about it for some time, and I also observed you carefully to evaluate my choice. However, after being your master for this long, I have made my decision."

She walked away from him, creating even more distance between them. As he watched her take steps back, he felt his heart pound for some reason. Excitement and anticipation caused his body to tremble slightly.

Something was coming! He could feel it down to the marrow of his bones.

"You have often pondered it too, haven't you? If it is possible for one person to learn and master more than one Art…"

Liu felt his heart racing now. His eyes widened in surprise and excitement, and he could feel himself resonate with the Sword Saint—no, with Yui.

"Conventionally, it isn't. All bodies are built with the ability to contain only one form of energy, and your pathways can only transfer one kind. There are no exceptions, and the mere attempt at defying this law leads to terrifying consequences."

Why was she telling him this? Liu already knew all of this, yet it seemed like Yui was reminding him of the fact.

'Why? Could it be…?!'

"I also thought deeply on this in my youth. However, rather than merely accepting the reality of this world, and the fated paths set before me, I decided to carve out my own destiny… to overturn the expectations of this world. I decided to build my own path."

Her eyes narrowed, and her smile widened. She was staring right at him, and Liu could feel his entire self becoming one with hers.

"As my only disciple, I have decided to pass down my secret technique to you." The sojourning winds caused her hair to dance as she spoke to him with conviction in her heart.

"I shall teach you the way of the Sword Saint. The ultimate technique that surpasses the Arts, and the path that can allow you to harness the power of all three energies into one."

Liu felt it all… the new world that awaited him.

"You shall learn Swordcraft."

*

*

*

[A/N]

Check out the Discord Server for Chapter Updates, Character Arts, Interactions, Art Requests, and much more.

https://discord.gg/yMPNRURZJh

Please keep supporting me and this work. Thank you all.


章 29: Swordcraft

"S-Swordcraft?" Liu muttered, both in astonishment and slight confusion.

He could have sworn that he had heard that name before, but his memory of it blurred the more he tried to remember.

Still, the name itself encapsulated a meaning that Liu found profound. The art of the sword, the path of the Sword Saint, the creation of a different blade. It was a brave new reality that was closing in on him.

"Do you wish to learn it?" Yui's voice echoed in the vast compound as she stared at Liu with resolve in her eyes.

An intense air danced around her, just as the lovely scent of drifting flowers moved about.

"I… I wish to." Liu could only whisper.

His heart was too excited for him to form any serious words, and his expectations were taking him to a new level of excitement.

"Your response is premature. It lacks conviction. Swordcraft is extremely difficult. It took me nearly a century to create it, and it is the culmination of my experiences. It has evolved over the years, and it still continues to grow."

She took yet another step back.

"Do you understand? Its worth is beyond a flaky decision. You need to desire it above all else."

"I desire it!" Liu yelled, yet Yui shook her head.

"Not enough conviction. I suppose I have no choice but to show it to you."

He wanted to see it! Liu could feel a yearning as his bulging eyes took in the Sword Saint take a form he didn't recognize.

She stood still, yet something around her warped the surroundings. It felt like she was there, yet at the same time she wasn't.

"Swordcraft uses all three of the fundamental elements in the technique, and there are a total of 9 Variants it originally possesses. Right here and now, I shall show them to you."

Sweat covered Liu's face and his heart thumped with a constant rythm.

"Burn this sight into your eyes and do not ever let it vanish from your memory." Yui's eyes closed, and her lips leaked out a soft whisper of air.

Her hand tightly gripped her blade, and she readied her form in absolute equilibrium. The warping atmosphere around her seemed to intensify, and tiny particles couls already be seen floating around her.

Liu could not believe the three harmonious colors that fluttered around the Sword Saint.

Red

Blue

Yellow

Like fireflies, they danced around her, creating a swirling stom of light. Mana, Ki, and Chi. The powers erupted, then merged, and then flowed. The beauty of the process escaped description.

It was simply sublime.

"Swordcraft #01… [Ascension]"

And thus, the Sword Saint began her dance.

*

*

*

"A-ah… ahh…"

Liu's voice was hoarse by the time he was done watching the Sword Saint.

His eyes were filled with bright wonder, and his thumping heart was at rest. Everything, his entire senses, was centered on the Sword Saint, who stood at the center of the dispersing energy.

The area around her was uninjured from the nine forms she had just revealed, though from all he saw—or rather, what he could understand—reality itelf seemed to have completely shattered. It was beyond anything he had ever seen.

Both in this world, and the one before.

"I… I…" Liu went to his knees, trembling as he spoke. "I want it… I want to learn it."

Tears were in his eyes, and his heart felt like exploding. Gratitude swelled from within him, and he could not properly express how thankful he was to have seen something so amazing.

"Please…" How much of an honor would it be for him to learn something so profound. "... PLEASE TEACH ME!"

He wasn't worthy. He knew that much. However, if his Master truly wanted him to embark on this journey, then how could he not desire it?

"I WANT THIS MORE THAN ANYTHING! PLEASE TEACH ME!" Liu begged.

In his trembling, Liu felt someone embrace him. It was the Sword Saint herself.

"Finally… I can see your conviction." She whispered in his ears.

Perhaps Yui didn't simply want him to learn it because she was the one who was teaching it. She must have wanted him to see it with his own eyes and covet it.

"The technique that is used to harness the power of Mana around, combining it with the Ki in the body, while using Chi to serve as the merger… that is Swordcraft." She began. "It will be extremely difficult for you, or even anyone, to learn it."

Liu understood what she meant. He wasn't conceited enough to think he was capable enough to handle the same technique that took his master almost a century.

"You might think it unfair, but I want you to learn this technique in five years, Liu. Do you think you can do it?"

Hearing something so impossible being uttered by his master made Liu's heart skip a beat. But he could not reject her words either.

"D-do you think I can do it?"

"I do. If it's you, Liu, I believe you can."

"Then I will. I will do it!"

He couldn't see her face since he was in her embrace, but Liu knew she was smiling. Her warmness permeated his heart, and he didn't want to forget the experience.

"It will be the toughest five years of your life. The training will be intense, and you will suffer a great deal. You will sacrifice a lot of you time and energy to it. But if you keep your resolve and persevere, you will succeed."

That was all Liu needed to hear. As long as Yui thought he could do it, he didn't care about anything else.

'With this… with Swordcraft, I will finally have the strength to stay by your side. As long as I can do that, I don't care about anything else!'

"You will also have to move in with me. I'm sorry you'll have to leave your friends, Liu, but its neccessa—"

"I don't mind!" Liu instantly responded, his grin growing wider by the minute.

Just hearing all of that made it all worth it.

"As long as I'm with you… I can do anything!"


Load failed, please RETRY

ギフト

ギフト -- 贈り物 が届きました

    バッチアンロック

    目次

    表示オプション

    バックグラウンド

    フォント

    大きさ

    章のコメント

    レビューを書く 読み取りステータス: C28
    投稿に失敗します。もう一度やり直してください
    • テキストの品質
    • アップデートの安定性
    • ストーリー展開
    • キャラクターデザイン
    • 世界の背景

    合計スコア 0.0

    レビューが正常に投稿されました! レビューをもっと読む
    パワーストーンで投票する
    Rank 200+ パワーランキング
    Stone 3 推薦チケット
    不適切なコンテンツを報告する
    error ヒント

    不正使用を報告

    段落のコメント

    ログイン

    tip 段落コメント

    段落コメント機能がWebに登場!任意の段落の上にマウスを移動し、アイコンをクリックしてコメントを追加します。

    また、[設定]でいつでもオフ/オンにすることができます。

    手に入れました