Chương 11: Sword Path (4)
"Pupil, are you ready for the fourth stance?"
"You don't have to tell me, come!"
"Sure, you attack."
Gana was befuddled, "Huh?"
Shiki grinned, "Go on, attack me, pupil, we haven't got all fucking day, you know?"
Gana breathed as he accelerates before ducking his head like a submarine, he slashed upwards to catch Shiki off guard from below. Shiki calmly directed his katana downwards, parrying the slash. Unrelentingly, Gana held his curved blade to his side as he spun his body in a clockwise direction as he released another slash. Shiki pushed the side of his blade as his arm arced up towards Gana's curved blade. He softly parried the attack for Gana's curved blade slide across and away from Shiki.
Puzzled, Gana shook his sword around the air trying to sense if there was a problem with it. His attacks seemed to be lacking in power and rendered useless every time it met Shiki's katana.
"Hehe, are you confused, student?"
Gana wanted to open his mouth but chose against it. Instead, he went to sit down under a tree and crossed his arms. His mind replayed the feeling of his attacks being disabled whilst creating an image of his sword meeting Shiki's katana. Shiki strolled to Gana before saying, " Oh yeah, here's a clue, water."
Grinning Shiki vanished, from the sight. Gana not realizing his teacher was already, resumed thinking about the clue. 'Water, water. Something that resembles water? Or you have to be like water? An attack similar to water?' Gana again babbled within himself. He spent the rest of the day reflecting on the thoughts, feelings and that single clue.
The next day, he sparred with Shiki again. The same exact result happened, no matter what move or stance Gana did, he's unable to create a meaningful attack. Shiki always came out of Gana's barrage of attacks unscathed. 'Rather than wasting energy here, might as well think what is wrong with my moves today.' Another day passed.
This routine continued for another two weeks. Gana was still unable to figure out the fourth stance. Yet, Gana did not become frustrated. He got on with it by sometimes meditating, visualising and comparing the three stances with this fourth stance. Another two weeks spent by Gana with a deadlock still in his mind as Shiki playfully used the fourth stance to make all his attacks more flaccid when sparring.
"Can't I have more clues, sensei?"
"Nope."
"Why not?"
"Because you will learn the true value of it."
Gana didn't ask again as he continued meditating under the shade of the tree they were both resting. The next day, Gana decide not to spar, instead, he went and try to find the meaning of the clue like Shiki said which was water. Currently, Gana sat down opposite a river. Inside the Dalna village, there was a fishing section accommodated for its residents. It is built as a wooden dock with the roof up top to cover from the Sun. There are couches for them to sit. While the rest of the people there were either fishing for leisure or food, Gana crossed his legs trying to make sense of the water at the river.
Fishy and soil-like smell entered Gana's nostrils. He inhaled every bit of it in order to reach any sort of enlightenment. His hand dipped into the river. 'Cold, wet, soft, flowing. Does that mean that my attacks have to be flowing like a river? Constant and unending?' Gana thought.
His mind replayed his spar with Shiki again, which he came to a sudden realization that Shiki never once counter-attacked. 'Huh? Why didn't sensei attack back? He has many opportunities.'
Gana's hand-dipped into the river again, inattentively he spun his hand around. 'Spinning like this will probably create a whirlpool.' It hit Gana in the head.
'Whirlpool!? Wait, have I been thinking wrong looking at as stance that attack? What if it is a defensive stance?' Gana spun his hand faster so he could feel that he's making a bigger whirlpool.
'This is probably it. A whirlpool that sucks everything and anything. No wonder all my attacking moves were useless against him. I've been looking at the wrong angle. Heh.' Gana grinned as he led himself back towards his home.
The day after, Gana faced Shiki once again with newfound confidence. Shiki waved his katana around before voicing," Hm? Seems like you found the answer?"
"Watch me."
The curved blade was placed behind his head before putting out his palm, he performed the First Stance: Fleeting Wind to close down on Shiki. He appeared on Shiki's left side he pointed out his curved blade to do Second Stance: Light Needle. Shiki like so many times spun his katana in a circle clockwise to parry the attack while Gana suddenly stopped his second stance. In counter-clockwise fashion, Gana also spun his sword in a circle as well.
Amaterasu Fourth Stance: Whirlpool.
Their blades clashed against each other as both were deflected away. Shiki smiled as he sheathed back his katana. Gana hearing the sharp blade skimming against the sheathing halted in confusion.
"We're stopping here, Gana."
Gana sweated excited as he squeaked," So when we're learning the fifth stance, sensei?"
"There is no fifth stance."
"Huh?"
"The fifth stance of Amaterasu Sword Path depends on your creativity and innovation."
"Meaning...?"
"You need to create your own."
Gana tilted his head, pondering.
"By the way pupil, I'll be on my leave, got some personal business to take care of."
"Am I going to see you again?"
"Depends on your performance, you are a month away from being sixteen so good luck with your bounty hunting."
Gana head dropped down after remembering about his three years spent with Shiki.
"Heh, don't look so sad, pupil. I will give you three things once finished creating the fifth stance."
"Fine. Just be careful."
"Ho, you worried about your teacher? I should be saying that you. Farewell, my student."
Gana's head raised upwards towards the sky as his teacher left Dalna Village. 'We barely got by with us selling rice. If I do well as a bounty hunter, our lives might be looking better.'
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