The Precedence

Chapter Six

The precedence (kagami)　鑑

<the word is chosen on purpose to coincide in pronunciation to Kagami’s name　鏡, but is actually written entirely differently>

The next morning, Kagami gladly joined Akishi at the breakfast table. “Excited for your first class?” Akishi asked at the end of the meal.

“Slightly nervous but yes, looking forward to my first class.”

“You should be. Arashi will be doing the first demo of the semester, with your first lesson on swordsmanship to follow.”

“Really? Now I can’t wait! I apologize for taking my leave so early.”

“Go right ahead~”

Kagami could hardly keep her excitement contained when Arashi took center stage. Having run there to get front row seating, she didn’t want to miss any detail of Arashi’s demo.

Arashi drew a practice sword, and filled it with her spirit. Her eyes were filled with determination, and the sword resonated in excitement, letting out a sublime hum of purity.

(“About 220Hz.”) Noted the physics teacher in Kagami’s previous identity...

Then, an aura became visible around Arashi’s body and the sword in her hand -- an aura of sharpness, unstoppable strength, and invincibility.

Eyes wide open, Kagami could feel her palms sweating and heart racing. Even breathing had become more difficult.

And soon Kagami discovered that it was not an illusion. Previously invisible magic elements that had been floating around were lit up by this aura; they now resembled dancing specks of dust in the sunlight.

Moreover, the might of the aura was undeniably forcing the elements to orbit Arashi, who now stood at the centre of the storm of magic elements.

Being too close to Arashi, Kagami had to fight harder and harder in order to breathe air, which was being speedily carried away by the whirlwind.

Suddenly, Arashi attacked the empty space in front of her. Visible power gushed forth from the sword, and cut open the storm of elements. In an instant, all of the glowing magic elements were driven forward, along with all the rest of the magic elements in the room, to the walls of the lecture hall, like bullets being fired, like a shock wave after an explosion.

The walls took the bombardment, and reverberation echoed through the space. Suddenly, the lecture hall became devoid of magic elements. The air was refreshing and light, as if there was a cool breeze through a beautiful forest of cedar and spruce.

(“That was such a powerful impact! Skillful and well-calibrated, too. The energy only hit the walls, and didn’t take out my head along the way even though I am sitting in such close proximity...”)

Students stood up and bowed to express gratitude, and with a nod, Arashi left to attend her own classes.

A young gentleman assumed the center stage as class commenced. “We would like to welcome a new student to Kageyama.” He gestured to Kagami.

Kagami stood up, turned around to face the class. “Good morning, I am Kagami. I have a lot to learn, please take care of me from now on.”

The students smiled in return, gave a light round of applause, and Kagami resumed her seat.

“I will now give a refresher on the basics, and we will have volunteers bout on stage. I will then analyze and give suggestions for areas of improvement. This will repeat until the end of class.”

Kagami watched the instructor illustrate the basic sword techniques, and then two students volunteered to come on stage.

While Arashi’s personal sword was long, straight, and slender, reminiscent of a Renaissance rapier, the practice swords used in class reminded Kagami of military sabres, sturdy and reliable.

Watching the blades cut through air, Kagami knew that she was too weak.

(“To be able to avoid the blade with foot work requires a deftness that I would need years to train for. Indeed, my first task is to become physically fit.”)

Kagami also had a feeling that she might be asked to try the sword near the end of the class. Not wanting to be defeated in mere seconds, Kagami remembered what her granduncle had once taught her, back in the other world.

Hitomi’s great grandfather was planning on serving an important nobility from the House of Lords during the war, his Eminence the Honorable Ōimikado. However, an imperial prince, his Highness Prince Takahito of Mikasa, was about to embark on a mission to investigate the true condition of war in Northern China, so Hitomi’s great grandfather was transferred to accompany the prince.

Prince Takahito went deep into the land, and found the war to be unsustainable for the empire, and morally wrong to begin with, despite lofty ideals used to justify it. Upon his Highness’s return, Prince Takahito petitioned the government to withdraw all troops and to pay damage to countries afflicted by Japanese invasion. Prince Takahito’s report met hostility and disbelief. Prince Takahito unsuccessfully tried to overthrow the government in order to end the war, and rescinded all privileges in protest of the Emperor’s inaction to put the country back on the right course.

The prince made meaningful connections during the investigation, and openly lauded the organization and morale of local resistance forces who took advantage of mountainous terrain to impede and to combat the mechanized Imperial Army.

As Hitomi’s great grandfather accompanied the prince on the journey, he learned about how the local resistance force was trained to be effective. The resistance soldiers were poorly equipped, under trained, and malnourished. They could not match up to the Imperial Army.

Resistance soldiers, on average having no more than three bullets per person to fire from poorly made rifles, more often than not tried to ambush the Imperial soldiers, and then quickly engage in close combat.

Being malnourished, the resistance soldiers could not let the fight drag on, and they focused on cutting the enemy’s head off as quickly as possible.

Simply put, when a Japanese soldier swung the bayonet, a resistance soldier was to use a great deal of force to knock the bayonet aside with the back of his sabre, which would then be ready to strike with the blade pointing directly at the enemy. In one continuous movement, the resistance soldier knocked the bayonet aside, swung the saber, and off came the enemy’s head.

Hitomi’s great grandfather called this style of using the sword ‘Enshuu HachiRo Ryuu’ [延州八路流], and passed it onto his youngest child, Hitomi’s granduncle.

(“Well,”) thought Kagami, (“ I’m weak, untrained, and uncoordinated. Perfect. Might as well try that.”)

As expected, the instructor asked Kagami near the end of the class if she would like to give it a try. Kagami nodded and went up to the stage.

Kagami felt the blade with her thumb, and indeed it was not sharpened, but polished to be smooth and round. (“I hope I don’t get badly hurt.”)

She held the sabre with her right hand, and finding it to be heavy, she used her left hand to hold her right wrist, for extra support. Kagami imagined the sword calling out to her, and said “Hi” to the sword in her mind. There was no response. She would not be able to recreate Arashi’s miracle.

A young boy around the age of twelve volunteered to be the opponent.

Seeing the shining sabre in the boy’s hand, Kagami lost her courage and could not carry out what she had planned. As soon as she saw the slightest movement from the boy’s left shoulder, Kagami instinctively pushed the floor with her left foot to get out of all possible danger.

“Very fast reaction... Which is good in itself. Relax a bit, and try confronting the opponent a little.” Said the instructor.

Kagami breathed deeply a couple of times, and tried to lower her sabre so as to attempt knocking the opponent’s blade aside.

(“Gagh, I’m too short! I won’t be able to reach anything when I swing the sword!”) Kagami had a face of despair. (“Being six is great for looking cute and not much else. Now I wish I hasn’t come up stage.”)

The young boy swung his sabre quickly but lightly, and had a gentle look on his face.

(“okay then, I’m safe with this nice person. I’ll try it. I’m gonna knock it aside and take a leap forward and swing it!”)

(“Gagh, it’s too scary! I can’t look!”)

There was a “knack” as the sabres collided, and time felt to have slowed down as Kagami took a leap. Her body froze mid way out of nervousness, and Kagami thought she was going to fall flat on her face.

After what seemed like an eternity, Kagami heard a faint “tap” as her sabre touched something.

Kagami waited a few more seconds, and opened her eyes.

The young boy kindly stood in place, almost ready to catch her should she stumble and fall. And there she was, crouched over in a very comical posture, with her sabre barely, but surely, on the young boy’s chest.

“Well, congratulations on landing your first hit. I look forward to seeing your doubtless improvements in the coming months.”

The instructor then turned to the young boy, “Thank you for looking out for your classmate. This concludes the class.”

Kagami said thank you to the boy, and went down from the stage, her face was very red.

(“Too embarrassing!!!”) Kagami hid her face in her palms. (“I wish I had just stood still and lost. That would have been better...T_T”)

**************

Hi, This is the end of the chapter. Thank you for reading thus far!

No stranger to embarrassments myself, well, what can I say?!

“The best laid plans o’ mice and men gang aft agley,

And lea’e us nothin’ but sorrow, for promised joy.”

<or something like that. Gi’e her a Haggis!>

Thanks again!

Hitomi

**********

Upcoming Characters in the next chapter

Nijou - Yukari　二条　紫　殿下

Her Highness (denka)

Yukari, 20 years old, would be the tallest of all major characters. Standing at six ft, 183cm, she has long platinum blonde hair past her waist, lavender eyes, and a very slim, pointy face. Yukari looks quite severe, and her social status is at the top of all the students at Himeyama. She wears a white swinging sleeve kimono with amethyst trim. (Flat body.)

Fudou’in - Midori　不動院　碧　閣下

Her Excellence (kakka)

18 years old, Five ft ten inches, 178 cm. Pale blonde hair, shoulder length; Green eyes. Slightly oblong face.

Wears white swinging sleeve kimono with emerald trim. (Well developed body)