The days passed peacefully.
Morning.
Training.
Reading.
Evening.
Training once more.
Ryuu repeated the same routine every single day without fail.
The abandoned Kensei dojo, silent for decades, once again echoed with the rhythmic sound of a wooden sword.
Swish!
Swish!
Swish!
Every swing was deliberate.
Every step was precise.
He no longer chased the number shown by the system.
Instead...
He focused on correcting a single mistake with each practice session.
If his breathing was wrong...
He corrected it.
If his stance shifted...
He started over.
If his grip tightened unnecessarily...
He relaxed it before swinging again.
The mission progress continued to rise naturally.
Mission: The Way of the Sword
Progress:
1,284 / 5,000 Perfect Swings
Ryuu closed the window with a thought.
"The numbers don't matter."
"The sword does."
...
One afternoon...
His mother entered the dojo carrying a long cloth bundle.
Unlike the wooden practice swords lining the walls...
This bundle was wrapped with great care.
She laid it gently before the ancestral shrine.
"Ryuu."
He immediately stood and bowed.
"Mother."
She looked at him quietly.
"You've trained with a wooden sword for years."
"I think..."
"It's time you learned how to care for a real blade."
Ryuu's eyes widened slightly.
"A real sword?"
She nodded.
"But you will not fight with it."
"Not yet."
She slowly unwrapped the bundle.
Inside rested an ordinary katana.
Its scabbard was plain black.
The guard was simple iron.
There were no jewels.
No intricate engravings.
No trace of grandeur.
It looked like the standard weapon carried by many shinobi.
Yet...
The blade was polished to perfection.
His mother carefully lifted it.
"This sword has no famous name."
"It belonged to your grandfather."
"He used it throughout his life."
She held it horizontally with both hands before presenting it to Ryuu.
"Receive it with respect."
Ryuu instinctively bowed deeply before accepting it.
The moment he touched the hilt...
He felt the familiar warmth of his Sword Heart.
Gentle.
Quiet.
Welcoming.
Not because the sword was legendary.
But because...
It was a sword.
"So this..."
"...is a real katana."
His mother smiled.
"What do you feel?"
Ryuu remained silent for several moments.
Finally...
"It feels heavier."
"But..."
"It also feels alive."
She nodded approvingly.
"Good."
"Never forget that feeling."
"A sword isn't merely forged from steel."
"It carries the will of everyone who has wielded it."
...
She led him to the center of the dojo.
"The first lesson."
Ryuu listened carefully.
"A swordsman never draws his blade carelessly."
She slowly rested her hand upon the hilt.
"Before drawing..."
"Ask yourself one question."
Her gaze became serious.
"Does this sword truly need to leave its sheath?"
Ryuu frowned thoughtfully.
His mother drew the blade.
The sound of steel leaving the scabbard echoed throughout the dojo.
Shiiing.
The blade reflected the afternoon sunlight.
"There will come a day..."
"...when every time you draw your sword..."
"...someone's life may change forever."
She lowered the blade.
"That is why the Kensei Clan never celebrated killing."
"We celebrated protecting."
Those words settled deeply within Ryuu's heart.
Protection.
Not slaughter.
That was the path he wanted to walk.
...
For the next several hours...
She taught him nothing flashy.
No sword techniques.
No secret clan arts.
Only respect.
How to hold a sheathed katana.
How to draw it safely.
How to return it without damaging the blade.
How to clean it.
How to sharpen it.
How to inspect the edge.
Every lesson was treated with the same importance as sword practice.
By sunset...
Ryuu had drawn and sheathed the sword hundreds of times.
Not once had he been allowed to swing it.
Finally...
Unable to contain his curiosity...
He asked,
"Mother."
She looked up.
"When will you teach me real sword techniques?"
A gentle smile appeared on her face.
"When you no longer ask that question."
Ryuu blinked.
"...I don't understand."
She laughed softly.
"I know."
"One day..."
"You will."
...
That night...
After cleaning the katana until it gleamed...
Ryuu carefully returned it to its wooden stand before the ancestral shrine.
Then he bowed.
"I'll take good care of it."
The dojo remained silent.
Only the flickering candlelight answered.
As he turned to leave—
The system appeared.
Hidden Objective Completed
Acknowledge the Weight of the Blade
Reward:
Sword Heart Synchronization
1.1% → 1.3%
Ryuu smiled.
"So even understanding matters."
The system wasn't measuring only physical training.
It recognized his growth as a swordsman.
That realization pleased him far more than the increase itself.
He dismissed the notification and looked once more at the ordinary katana resting quietly on its stand.
It wasn't a legendary weapon.
It wasn't powerful.
Yet...
To Ryuu...
It was the first real sword entrusted to him.
And that alone made it priceless.
Outside...
The wind gently rustled the leaves of the old cherry blossom tree.
Within the silent Kensei Estate...
The final heir continued walking the path of the sword.
One lesson...
One promise...
One step at a time.
End of Chapter 13