Back to Basics
Yusoha's mansion had a training room prepared exclusively for her. It was a personal training ground that existed for her alone. From basic physical conditioning to directly experiencing martial arts and weapon techniques from nations around the world, all performed by training androids, every conceivable form of training was possible here. And into that training room reserved solely for Yusoha, Eclipse stepped inside.
The reason was simple. Yusoha had asked him for guidance.
“This is quite the fascinating place.”
“Fascinating?”
“Yes. The world I came from never developed technology like this. Scientific advancement is truly remarkable.”
“It’s probably even more impressive because it’s combined with magic. The power source operating those androids uses mana stones obtained from regular gates as fuel.”
“I see.”
“Right, then shall we begin right away?”
“What would you like me to do?”
“Just watch my form. I want an assessment from someone of your caliber—how my posture and technique measure up.”
“Understood.”
“Oh, and I’m only asking this now, but what weapon do you usually use? That broken greatsword you carry on your back?”
“Yes. I use this greatsword I’m carrying right now.”
Eclipse spoke as he gave the weapon on his back a few light taps. It was a shabby thing, broken clean in half, yet Yusoha couldn’t carelessly offer him a better one. That fractured blade surely held power equal to every hardship Eclipse had endured while crossing into this world.
“Last time you were only using your fists, so I assumed your weapon was a gauntlet.”
“There was no need to draw a sword then. But I didn’t only learn greatsword techniques. I can handle every category of blade.”
“I see. Then let’s start with a sword…”
Yusoha formed an ordinary one-handed sword using her mana.
“A blade created from mana? Outstanding. It deserves to be called a masterpiece.”
Perhaps because Yusoha’s level was so high, the sword she manifested with pure mana already stood in the ranks of renowned blades.
“This much is only natural.”
Of course, the corners of Yusoha’s mouth curved upward as she said it. Watching her, Eclipse thought that this young woman was surprisingly weak to praise.
“Any sword style is fine, right?”
“I still don’t know much about the swordsmanship of this world. There’s a chance the level here is higher, so don’t worry about me. Just show me what you can do.”
“Got it.”
Yusoha swung her sword with brimming confidence. Truthfully, despite her words, she carried considerable pride in her swordsmanship. Hadn’t she been the one to utterly crush Han Chaeyeon of the Red Moon—the very same prodigy the media constantly praised for her blade work—using nothing but her own technique? Even her father, Yu Hajun, had acknowledged her skill. With that kind of self-assurance, her sword carved through the air with powerful momentum.
A rather flashy sword form unfolded before Eclipse’s eyes. To an ordinary observer, it would have seemed excellent. But to Eclipse, it looked somewhat lacking. Or, to be completely honest, it was severely lacking. In the world he had lived in, that level would have been beneath even an average soldier.
He began methodically identifying the flaws in Yusoha’s technique. In his original world, he had been regarded not as a mere knight but as a knight of salvation. Judging that her swordsmanship fell short of a common soldier’s was as easy as turning over his hand. Even if much of his power had been lost in the crossing to this world, his knowledge had not vanished with it.
“That’s enough.”
“Hoo, how was it?”
Yusoha looked at him with a bright, refreshing smile. Eclipse’s expression grew ambiguous. She was overflowing with confidence—did he really need to pour cold water over her? Yet without criticism there could be no growth. He told her exactly what he felt.
“…I’m sorry to say this, but it’s terrible.”
“…What?”
The bright smile disappeared in an instant.
“Ah, no. Why?”
Yusoha had expected at worst a comment like “it’s a shame” or “you need a little more effort.” But terrible? Her entire body stiffened at a critique that flew far beyond her expectations. Swordsmanship was her domain of expertise, and she had never once received harsh words from anyone in that field. No—she had received nothing but praise. Even the public, which judged Awakened with ruthless standards, acknowledged her swordsmanship. It had even earned recognition from first-generation Awakened who specialized in blades. Yet Eclipse’s evaluation rendered all of that meaningless.
“Soha?”
“Ah, yes. Please continue. What exactly is terrible?”
Still, she couldn’t show any displeasure. She had been the one to ask for his guidance. Getting angry right away would have been unseemly. Knowing that, Eclipse felt a twinge of guilt for speaking the truth. Seeing this arrogant young lady falter at the word “terrible,” it was obvious she carried considerable—no, immense—pride in her swordsmanship. That made it even harder to continue. He could already tell that one more word would make her explode.
“…”
“I’m fine. Tell me.”
Yet Yusoha glared at him with fierce eyes as she spoke. Her pride had clearly been wounded by the word “terrible.”
“Very well. First… the momentum behind your sword is terrible. You’ve focused too much on flashiness. It’s a classic example of a style that neglects proper fundamentals while obsessing over speed and flair.”
“…”
From the very first sentence, Yusoha’s face flushed crimson. Shame and rage seemed to battle across her features.
“Then, if I went to the world you came from, what level would I be? You said you were a knight, correct?”
“I was. In the world I came from, Soha, you are worse than an average soldier.”
“A-average… soldier? What kind of nonsense is that!?”
Even Yusoha, who had been trying to accept his words, found this impossible to swallow. An average soldier? He was essentially saying her skill was no better than handing a sword to some random civilian. Soldiers mainly used spears, yet he claimed she was beneath even them? Her earlier resolution not to show displeasure crumbled as fury surged through her mind.
“I speak only the truth. Your swordsmanship is inferior to what an ordinary soldier in our world occasionally displays when swinging a blade.”
“Ha. Then show me. Show me the swordsmanship an average soldier from your world would use. Preferably with that greatsword you carry.”
“There’s no difficulty in that. However, I cannot use this greatsword.”
“Why not?”
“It’s dangerous. It seems my power was halved when I crossed into this world. Controlling the blade’s flow has become difficult. If I make a mistake, the entire surrounding area could be destroyed.”
Had anyone else said it, she would have scoffed. But because it was Eclipse, Yusoha simply nodded. She already knew his strength far surpassed imagination. On the day she summoned him, a single stomp had shaken the specially constructed room built to summon Guardian Stars. If a mere footfall held such power, the might of the greatsword on his back was easy to imagine.
“…Is that so? Then let’s do this instead.”
Yusoha created a weapon for him using her mana.
“How about it? Will this work?”
“This is more than enough.”
Her ability to manifest weapons with mana was already beyond imagination, and the sword she produced was of high enough quality for Eclipse to wield without issue.
Eclipse took hold of the blade and assumed a stance. Though he had gripped a sword in a nightmarish situation only recently, doing so now in peaceful circumstances felt refreshingly new. He settled into position and swung once.
A simple vertical cut. Then a horizontal cut followed. The fundamentals of swordsmanship—cutting vertically, cutting horizontally, thrusting. These were what Eclipse valued above all else. Every variation and flourish stemmed from those basic movements. If the foundation was weak, no sword technique could ever display its true power. Yusoha’s style had been exactly like that: dazzling the eye with speed, hiding danger within flashiness. That much was fine. But without solid fundamentals to support the display, she would eventually hit a wall. No swordsman feared a blade that carried no real weight. No matter how much mana one poured into it, the missing foundation could not be filled.
Yusoha didn’t know who her teacher had been. Even so, Eclipse guessed it must have been a renowned swordsman. Otherwise, those movements would have been impossible. The techniques she performed were highly difficult, advanced forms that an ordinary person couldn’t even imitate after watching. Anyone capable of teaching such things would have to be an exceptionally skilled master.
Yet the depth was sorely lacking. Perhaps Yusoha’s own personality had trapped her. After all, even with shaky fundamentals, wrapping a sword in mana made cutting monsters relatively easy. To someone who preferred showing off flashy techniques to others, static training in the basics might have felt boring. Her teacher had probably recognized that nature and given up on drilling the foundations.
Of course, Eclipse could have demonstrated more complex techniques. He could have taught her the principles of power when facing an opponent. Even someone with ordinary strength could instantly overcome a gap in power by applying those principles. But all of it rested on fundamentals first: how to grip the sword, how to breathe, how to step. Technique came afterward.
Eclipse’s swordsmanship embodied the pinnacle of those fundamentals. It was a simple vertical cut, yet the stability radiating from his posture was on a completely different level from Yusoha’s.
Watching him swing the blade, Yusoha was rendered speechless. It was more perfect than any cut she had ever witnessed. The moment their blades met, she felt hers would be sliced apart in an instant. She couldn’t describe it precisely, but the feeling was unmistakable.
“This is the swordsmanship average soldiers learned in the world I came from. In other words, this is the foundation.”
Now she understood why she had been told her skills were terrible. If that was the baseline, she couldn’t even show her face.
The anger that had burned across Yusoha’s face alongside her shame slowly faded. She realized Eclipse had analyzed her with pure objectivity.
“Soha, you have certainly learned difficult techniques. But you’ve neglected the basics far too much. Only by rebuilding your foundation from the ground up will you be able to perform those techniques perfectly.”
It was an irrefutable truth. Yusoha had no rebuttal.
“…Yes.”
“From now on, I will watch over your swordsmanship every day. The basics must be built up steadily.”
“…Understood.”
For a moment Yusoha looked slightly deflated, but she shook her head once. She couldn’t afford to show such weakness over something like this. Instead, a spark of resolve lit in her eyes as she spoke to Eclipse.
“Eclipse.”
“What is it?”
“Basic training—can we start today?”
“As much as you want.”
At her words, Eclipse smiled. He liked the determination in her heart that said she would accomplish at least this much.