...an old chant I'd heard from someone special.
Of course, I can't remember who that "someone" was, but hearing the words warms my heart.
Out of breath, I quietly repeat the words.
"I am... neither human, nor living thing... neither mindless, nor one with a heart..."
I open my eyes.
I seem to have forgotten most of the prayer, but I continue, skipping over the parts I know.
"—I am a living, breathing weapon. No, more than that."
I tense my body one last time and imagine my enemy standing before me.
But this time, the figure is imposing and agile.
"I am—a blade."
I instantly engage the enemy in front of me, clashing swords in classic sword fighting style.
This prayer may seem very strange, but I like to think of it as a kind of lucky ritual.
If I could predict it, I probably inherited it from my brother.
That memory was so important to my brain that I was forced to retain it even after the incident.
...In other words, I never gave the chanting much thought. Especially after I broke my wrist, I only saw it as a way to boost my self-esteem and morale to get through training.
To begin with, I don't particularly believe in the supernatural.
...Hmph, ignoring the fact that my brother was a knight.
"Ha...! Ha..."
Anyway, I battle the sword-wielding shadow. It's an enemy I've fought for years, so recognizing his pattern isn't hard.
The real challenge is catching up with him.
I consider myself an amateur, but I have to admit my stamina is terrible.
And because of that, after just a few minutes, my body began to show signs of giving up on the sparring.
"...But...but...! Damn it!"
My jab misses in vain and I collapse.
Once again, I fail to catch up with my imaginary foe. This must be the hundredth time.
I picked up the silver sword from the tatami mat, stood up, wiped my brow, and threw my sweaty shirt aside.
——Frustrating..
I honestly tried to hide it, but in the end, my training had been ruined.
"--"
I gazed out the small gaps, which could be called windows, dotted around the dojo's walls.
The moon still shone brightly, just as it did inside.
"Damn..."
I bit my tongue and denied it.
In truth, I just wanted to go about my normal, everyday life, but something so trivial had ruined it.
No, you could even say someone was behind it.
"...Is Takamura-sensei really gone?"
I finally asked aloud.
My chest tightened as I said it.
...This feeling was truly strange.
I wouldn't mind if Kouta were temporarily gone.
Why do I care so much about that woman?
If you had asked me an hour ago, I would have begged you not to let me see her again.
Damn it, damn it.
It's not that I have any feelings for her or anything.
In fact, I've always seen her as a maternal figure, but that doesn't mean I feel angry.
No, not anger.
I'm confused -- that's it.
...I check the clock hanging above the shoji screen on the far right.
There are dozens of clocks in this house.
But I'm not complaining.
It helps me keep track of the time in situations like this.
Now, before I could ruminate any further, the clock struck 2 AM.