It was the day when he had to go to school. Tatsumi brought with him his bag, which was packed with the necessary books and several necessities. He also wore his school uniform as he entered his high school in the city.
“I almost forgot the sensation at school. Chen Fei, how about you?” Tatsumi asked the person beside him.
He and Chen Fei went to the same high school since it would be easier for them to go from their home.
“After the whole world was in military mobilization, even we have become a pillar for those who fight on the frontline. Well, doing those works for almost a year made one not think about their previous life.” Chen Fei laughed heartily while explaining the probable reason.
“Yes. That’s true. But now that the Star Battle is over, we can return to our usual lives.” Tatsumi added.
The high school had three stories, with the second and third floors for the classes. Tatsumi could see some familiar faces and then he could also see that someone was also arriving.
“Look at that! Isn’t that Mikazuki Ame?” Chen Fei pointed to the front gate, where there was a car that had stopped near the gate.
“Oh, you are right.” Tatsumi glanced in the direction and nonchalantly agreed. But he kept his pace walking to the classroom.
According to what Chen Fei had divulged, the entire school was suspended in activity and all had to repeat a grade so the classes would remain the same. That was a good thing for Tatsumi since he would not be able to retain what he had learned eleven months ago.
“Let’s go to the class!” Tatsumi pushed Chen Fei to move.
They were in different classes but they still often communicated with each other. Tatsumi and Chen Fei separated when they arrived on the second floor after the staircase.
Tatsumi went to the farthest classroom on the second floor while Chen Fei went to the nearest classroom and entered. After Chen Fei had entered the classroom, Tatsumi continued on his way to his classroom.
When he entered, there was no one, not even their bags in sight. Tatsumi realized that he was the first one to get to the classroom. He then sat in his usual position where the distance to the window and the front was good.
Then he opened his bag and grabbed the most important thing that he could bring, his favorite manga. He mostly drew inspiration from it even when he created the Jade Immortal Circulation Technique. It was half his life, so he treated it well.
Yesterday, he had managed to buy the newest volume of the manga and he intended to read it. So he did just that. It was a good way to spend some time.
He liked the way the manga depicted the fight. It was what he wanted to emulate but he was lacking in certain areas. That was why he also started to exercise properly according to the transcendent method, which was more effective than random training.
He also thought that he could resonate with what the characters in it were going through. Now that he saw it again, it felt like his own struggles. He was strong enough in the ordinary people’s eyes but for a transcendent, he was pitifully weak.
‘Yeah, strong among the ordinary but weak among the strong. That is a problem.’ Tatsumi thought as he saw a panel where the antagonist stated that fact right to the protagonist's face before being driven away by the protector nearby.
‘But my situation could be considered fast enough. I hope that with more time, I can reach higher.’ Tatsumi mused to himself.
He also did not forget to glance at the door to see whether someone would enter through it. Then he returned to reading. He also felt that the protagonist's flaw resonated with him.
He remembered what Ame had told him when they had been training.
“Your temper is the worst, especially to someone you deem to be an enemy. You are barely holding yourself when training the students by hitting them with the wooden sword. Although they understand that you did it out of necessity but at first, they questioned your method.”
He was not someone who could maintain his decorum when encountering someone he assumed was against him. It worsened when he encountered an enemy. That was why the first thought he had when encountering an enemy was to eliminate it for good.
He let out another sigh as he felt that it was how he was; he could not change this easily and he did not intend to. He continued reading and saw that the protagonist was having an internal conflict.
‘Ah, this part is where he should struggle between gaining power and maintaining the relationship he had built so far in his life.’ Tatsumi could partially guess the direction of the plot.
And he exactly found that. Tatsumi also once was like that, struggling between chasing power or extending the relationship he already had, potentially to someone outside his zone. But he knew that power should be gained by one’s own hand in a steady progress. That was the least steep price to pay. Other ways of gaining sudden strength would require extra price to pay and he did not want that.
As for extending his relationship, he had barely begun, knowing that this was also important for him as a human being. The first one he did was with Ame, actually. He did not say it to her for fear that it looked like he was just using her.
‘You are still growing, even at this point.’ Kudungga commented.
‘You are right. But I want to be better, not to become the one at the bottom of all the hierarchy of the social strata.’ Tatsumi replied internally. He had experienced living like that through the others who shared it through Memory Assimilation.
‘Right, you should prevent that. But you also need to help them whenever possible.’
‘I intended for that. Helping them is actually helping myself after all.’ Tatsumi mused and thought that was the right thing to do.
If one day he were to die, those whom he helped would show him something better, something new, such as knowledge about something he did not know or the auxiliary ability needed for a certain thing. That was in accordance with the function of the Nafs.
Learning and sharing the knowledge. That was what Sister Charlene had once said and the other in the Afterlife were saying too. It resonated within him and that was the reason he had taught the students at the Transcendent Academy.
‘I am just sowing the seed that will grow into something that can become my sustenance. Can’t believe that I am already doing this for myself.’ Tatsumi thought some more.
He did not believe in a saintly figure or anything since he knew the reality of people. But he understood why some people were spreading their ideology; it was something that could affect others, some for the rest of their lives.
That was why he followed in the footsteps of the predecessor who had guided him step by step. Despite his bad temper, he still let his teaching affect others only for the sake of himself, not anyone else. It sounded selfish but that was his intention from the very beginning.
Then he saw a crowd from glancing at the door. He realized that the other students were entering. Some were familiar faces, while there were also some who he did not know, either because he never properly looked at the students in his class or because he did not pay attention.
Tatsumi then returned to reading the manga in his hand. He contemplated the story of his own experience, trying to find a good solution to his current problem.
“Um, hello.” A weak voice, like a whisper, then came from Tatsumi’s left side. He did not pay it any mind and continued with his reading.
“Hello, classmate!” The voice increased in volume but not much. Tatsumi now felt irritated and sharply looked at the source.
“What do you want?” Tatsumi said while his tone was sharp and unfriendly.
The one who initiated the conversation was actually a timid young man who was shaking the moment he heard what Tatsumi had said.
“I just saw what you read and wonder, is it Adventurer’s Life?” Although timid, the young man asked with a bit of excitement.
Tatsumi felt like the one before him was actually interested in the manga he had read. He pursed his lips before he spoke.
“Of course. I just got the latest volume and am reading it to pass the time. Are you interested?”
“Of course! It is the most popular in the Federation! Do you know that…”
Tatsumi and the young man then engaged in a heated discussion about the protagonist’s flaw and the way he tried to fix it. The rivalry between the protagonist and the one who did not give up despite lacking and when the protagonist met the antagonist…all of it was discussed.
“You can read it later. The class is about to start.” Tatsumi reminded the young man.
“Yes. But please let us speak about the manga further, alright!”
Tatsumi slipped the manga back into his bag while preparing for the class. The teacher then entered the classroom and it was the usual report about the end of the Star Battle and its effect on the entire school.
Only after that did the class start.
-
The subject was something that Tatsumi had been taught but forgotten with the passage of time and being busy with training and managing intelligence.
He yawned as he felt that he had to relearn things again. But he listened and found something was strange with the explanation.
‘Is it always like that or could it be that I can even get insight into this?’ Tatsumi realized something and decided to listen more closely.
As he expected, there was a strange explanation and he noticed this. He then opened his notebook and scribbled something on it.
Then the class was done and Tatsumi prepared himself to go to the kendo club.
“Wait!” Two people were intercepting him.
“What’s wrong? I am going to the kendo club.” Tatsumi said flatly. Even though one of the two people was someone he knew quite well and the other was the same young man who was slightly timid.
“Oh, you made new friends. That’s unexpected.” Ame said with a curious look.
“Uhm, what about our previous discussion?” the young man said.
Tatsumi sighed in helplessness. He had something important to do but it also felt wrong to completely ignore them.
“Follow me. You can discuss things as we walk.” Tatsumi gestured for the two to walk as he headed to the kendo club.
“By the way, I don’t get your name. Can you introduce yourself?” Tatsumi calmed himself from the raging feeling in his heart and asked the young man.
“I am Sora.” The young man smiled sheepishly while his eyes still showed his timidity.
“I am Tatsumi if you don’t know my name previously.” Tatsumi introduced himself, still walking down the stairs.
“Ah, you are that talented person that the kendo club mentioned!” Sora remembered the members of the kendo club talking about Tatsumi.
“Yes. What do you want to discuss?” Tatsumi asked. Now he felt relieved that Ame stayed silent, as if realizing that this discussion was for the two men.
“About the way the plot goes into the new direction…”
Tatsumi became a good listener as it involved something that he liked. He let Sora talk about the things related to the manga and he enjoyed it.
Then time passed and Tatsumi finally arrived at the kendo club along with Ame and Sora.
“I just wanted to say that something has happened to Senior Edward.” Ame said after the three arrived. Tatsumi’s eyes narrowed but he kept his calm.
‘I don’t know exactly but I believe that Senior Edward can shoulder the burden of whatever comes his way.’ Tatsumi believed in this since he often exchanged moves with him.
Then he entered and saw the familiar faces that he had seen right before the departure to the Thebes Independence Kingdom.
Tatsumi went to the weapon shelf where the wooden swords were stored. He gripped the hilt and felt the familiar sensation of lifting the wooden sword.
Sora and Ame were like understanding Tatsumi’s action of going directly to the action and they decided to watch.
Tatsumi went directly to his Senior Edward. Tatsumi often called him that because he did not want the connection with him to be related to his family. He wanted a genuine connection with Senior Edward as an individual.
“Senior Edward, if you are not busy, can I ask you to spar with me?” Tatsumi opened his mouth and said that.
Edward turned his head to look at Tatsumi. From Tatsumi’s perspective, Edward was like a withered flower, his blond hair still neat but had traces of being slightly unkept and his stance was more aggressive.
‘Something must have happened during the time I am not near him. What exactly happened? Is it connected to his family?’ Tatsumi gathered all the current information he had on Edward.
“Oh, it’s you. Why do you want that?” Edward asked with a genuine curiosity.
“Because by exchanging moves, I can know what has burdened you so much.” Tatsumi said in a manner that only people like Edward could understand.
Edward chuckled slightly but he became a bit happier to hear that.
“Well, go to the arena then. Let’s see where you are going with this.” Edward also prepared his wooden sword and went to the small square called an arena.
Tatsumi followed while keeping his gaze on Senior Edward. He could perceive that Edward’s emotion was visible to the naked eye as he moved with haste.
After creating some distance, the two faced each other.
“Whenever you are ready, Senior Edward.” Tatsumi said while relaxing his body, despite the prepared stance, which was one of caution.
Edward nodded before he lunged directly at Tatsumi, swinging his sword with such ferocity. Tatsumi noticed this and decided to meet the attack head-on.
Wood against wood hit could be heard and Tatsumi finally felt something from the exchange.
‘Heavy and haste. Something is definitely affecting his mental state.’ Tatsumi knew that Edward usually went for stability and exploiting an opening. The fact that he lunged at Tatsumi instantly told him that it was quite heavy on his mind.
Tatsumi then swung his sword horizontally and Edward parried it with power. Tatsumi had to change his posture while making sure that he did not leave an opening.
Edward pushed further with his heavy hit and Tatsumi had to adapt to the change. But Tatsumi quite enjoyed the feeling of facing something different.
Exchange of moves continued but Edward kept swinging his sword in a frenzied manner as if he had an unresolved grudge.
‘Anger, helplessness, haste to achieve something…’ Tatsumi could see things through the exchange and decided to help communicate with Edward.
Tatsumi then moved his left leg and swung his sword diagonally, which caused Edward to dodge backward while preparing to swing his wooden sword.
Tatsumi then moved his right leg and quickly moved away from the next attack by Edward.
‘I know a bit about his family. One of the influential families in the Hinon Federation but here he is, without showing that dignity and instead left with wrath.’ Tatsumi thought while dealing with the moves that Edward had made.
Tatsumi was the person who would care about a person more than the affiliation the person was under.
‘So there really was something in the hearsay.’ Tatsumi dodged an attack that continued to form a barrage of swings.
After finding the right moment, Tatsumi parried it with minimal effort and caused Edward to stagger. Tatsumi then swung his sword one more time and managed to disarm Edward of his sword.
“Looks like I win this time, Senior. You are different but you are good. Just need to be able to use everything to your advantage, though.” Tatsumi said while giving out his advice.
‘If Senior wanted to use anger as a kind of power, then he needed to use it effectively. Otherwise, stick to the calm style.’ Tatsumi thought as he finally was able to relax fully in body and mind.
“I lost.” Edward’s eyes were clouded by so many thoughts that he did not share with anyone.
Tatsumi went to Edward’s front and patted him on the shoulder.
“Come on, just vent if you have to. No need to hold all of the burden within yourself. Just vent like how you were swinging your sword at me.” Tatsumi said what he needed to say.
Then Tatsumi went back and practiced his stance and swung his sword in different manners and styles. He was still in the arena and waited for someone to ask him for a spar.
Ame’s eyes brightened and she also wanted to try using a sword. Although it was a bit different than using her daggers, it was a suitable time to try another weapon.
Then she went to Tatsumi and initiated a spar. Sora, on the other hand, was fascinated by what Tatsumi had done and even now sparring against the beauty of the school herself. He was a bit overwhelmed to see all of that at once.
Edward went to the side and watched as Tatsumi and Ame exchanged moves fervently and with a certain understanding of combat.
‘He has improved on all things related to the sword. He thinks that I am burdening myself now.’ Edward wore a self-depreciating smile on his face as he realized that his minute movement exposed what he had shaved in his heart.
‘And he still calls me that despite knowing my family. I guess having a good junior is actually a blessing.’ Edward thought as he looked at the two who exchanged blows and delivered a deadly attack against each other without sweating.
Edward frowned at the extreme display of swordsmanship but he realized that the two were actually used to this.