“Uncle, before we begin, I was wondering, what can you tell me about my mother?”

The currents of Kira’s newly-refined Soul Energy cycling through her body filled her with a feeling of vitality despite her mental fatigue and sweat running down her face. She knew that just sitting and listening would give her mind time to recover as her body was actually ready to train straight away.

Of course, this wasn’t the only motivation for her question. While she had known her mother for almost eight years, and was actually conscious and clear-headed enough to understand everything due to being reincarnated, she felt as if her impression of her mother was seen as if through a filter.

Her mother had always been a kind and loving parent and was always careful not to let Kira see anything on the contrary. However, from the rumours and whisperings that she heard while on her own in the clan compound, Kira knew that there was more to her than what meets the eye. And who better to find out her mother’s secrets from than her own brother, Tetsuya.

“I suppose I can tell you some things, but why do you want to know.”

“I feel as if the mother I know isn’t the same person that everyone else sees her as.”

“Well, I suppose you’re right about one thing at least.”

Tetsuya paused as he pulled out a small, drawstring bag from somewhere within his tattered cloak. Opening it, he drew out a tiny scoop of black powder. He tilted the powder into his pipe and replaced both the scoop and the bag before lighting his pipe again. Pulling deeply on the pipe, Tetsuya blew out a coil of blue smoke that took the shape of a dragon which spiralled around Kira twice before flying off into the sky.

“Your mother, my sister, Naomi, was definitely a different person to different people. Gentle sister, stalwart swordswoman, emotionless executioner, all of these are roles she’d taken on before. Sometimes I think she likes to have this air of mystery around her, like you never know who she’s going to be to you till it’s too late to accept it.

She wasn’t always like that though. At one point she was like you, earnest, headstrong and with a powerful drive to get stronger. She’d already awakened her Burning Soul at that time and was practicing it pretty much every day. While I think you have the potential to surpass her, she has one thing you don’t.”

“Which is?”

“Absolute confidence in herself.”

“I d-”

Tetsuya’s gaze turned as hard as steel as he glared at Kira. She had never seen him like this since they first met. He had always been calm and laid-back, even a little humourous at times, but never this serious.

“I don’t think you really understand the meaning of ‘absolute’. For better or worse, the thought of losing or giving-in never occurred to her. She never considered that her full effort would be anything less than enough for any situation.

When I came to rescue you from that purple trash, I already heard everything and saw you fight. You’re too cautious and were calculating odds while trying to make the best out of a bad situation. Naomi would just fight, believing that everything would be okay if she gave it her all. That’s the big difference between the two of you.”

An uncomfortable silence filled the air where the blue smoke didn’t touch as Tetsuya took a deep pull on his pipe. Kira pondered his words while looking back on recent events, from her awakening of Burning Soul up until fighting the purple-robed man.

‘What he said may be true but I’m sure that I chose the best option in every situation. If I didn’t consider my options then I may have done something that lead to more losses for both me and my family.’

“And that’s exactly why you’ll never be able to surpass Naomi.”

Almost as if reading her thoughts, Tetsuya spoke.

“While there’s nothing wrong with taking time to evaluate your options, from what I’ve seen from my sister, to become a powerful Burning Soul user, you need to trust your instincts. Even though things like Weapon Skill creation and execution are very technical processes, true mastery only comes when using them becomes instinctual. Like moving your arms and legs, your Weapon Skills need to flow seamlessly with your normal attacks, without pause, without thought. Your cultivation levels can be at the peak but only with this can you be counted as one of the truly strong.”

“I…think I understand.”

Following Tetsuya’s declaration, Kira was surprised at both his seriousness and at how much sense he made, as if another door had opened before her in her mind.

“Jeez, when I decided I would try and train you, I never thought I’d say something that deep. Guess we can even surprise ourselves at times, huh?”

Kira shook her head in exasperation. Just when this scruffy uncle started to seem like a proper Master, he reverted back to his casual and lazy manner.

“Uncle, if you don’t mind, can you tell me a story about my mother?”

“Hmm, yeah sure. I don’t see why not. Let’s see, before she met your dad, she had about five different boyfriends. Not at once, mind you, but she was really starting to grow if you know what I mean...”

At an icy glare from Kira, Tetsuya stopped and laughed loudly.

“Hahaha! Of course you don’t want to hear about that. Let me think…”

“Tetsu![1] Give. It. Back!”

“Nah, sis. It’s about time you took a break, you smell.”

Two teenagers were tussling in the open field that served as their clan’s training grounds. A teenage boy with wild hair had just wrestled a wooden sword from his sister’s hands. While at first the boy might seem older due to his height, the shorter sister was actually the older sibling. She had dark hair that was cut short halfway between her chin and shoulders and curled slightly outward. Mostly covered by training robes, her maturing figure combined with well-toned muscles still managed to catch many eyes.

“I do not smell!”

The girl emphasised her point by planting her feet and savagely punching the boy in the gut while his arms were held high, holding the wooden sword which actually had a metal core inside to simulate the weight of a real sword.

“Hck.”

He doubled over immediately while his sister easily retrieved her weapon from his weak grasp.

“Naomi…you’re too…ruthless.”

“It’s not my fault if you don’t listen to me, Tetsu. I’m the older one here remember.”

“And you never let me forget it…”

“What was that?”

“I was just saying your hairpin dropped.”

“Really?”

Naomi stabbed the wooden sword into the ground, which actually penetrated ten centimetres deep before becoming lodged there, before frantically inspecting the sides of her head for the supposedly missing hairpin. Tetsuya couldn’t help but snigger softly. Realising that she had been fooled, Naomi slowly turned towards her brother.

“Tetsu…”

Tetsuya knew that tone and, even though Naomi was smiling, it was the smile of malicious gods before they seal deals with foolish mortals.

“I think it’s about time I left.”

“Wait right there! First, you’re going to spar with me.”

“Sorry sis but I prefer my bones intact. I appreciate the offer though.”

Tetsuya gave her a rushed mock bow before sprinting away. Naomi stood there on her own for a while, enjoying the spring breeze, before returning to training.

“That little bro, when is he going to take his training seriously? Could it be that being in my shadow of being an Inheritor has killed his motivation?”

Naomi took a deep breath before scrunching her nose.

“He’s right, I do need a wash.”

“Oh sis, you’re finally back. Wash up quickly, mom needs us to get some things at the marketplace district.”

“Don’t forget, you owe me a sparring session.”

“In good time, now hurry up. You still stink.”

Naomi feigned striking him with the sword before making her way to the washroom. When she returned, smelling of the lavender soap that their mom preferred, they left the house. Naomi waited for a few seconds as Tetsuya picked up a long bag that sat around the corner of their house and slung it over his shoulder before they both made their way through the quiet clan residences and into the busier city proper.

They wound their through the bustling city streets until they reached the even busier marketplace. Located at the heart of the city, the outer edges of the marketplace district were filled with local sellers who stood under cloth awnings on the roadside and peddled their wares while, as you neared the centre, the lavishness of both the shops and the goods shot up tremendously. However, today wasn’t the day for expensive goods.

“Hey Sis, come here. I found some Infernal Snake Leather[2]. You have the money, remember?”

When he didn’t hear a reply, Tetsuya sighed to himself.

‘Why does this happen every time we go out?’

Turning back around the corner he had passed earlier, Tetsuya noted the increased number of people near the corner which confirmed his suspicions. Gently pushing his way through the growing crowd, he reached the inner circle around which was a space that was empty save for three people. One of them was his sister, Naomi, and of the other two there was one that he recognised.

‘Nagato? Why’s he here? He had his chance already.’

Tetsuya thought as he listened to the conversation which had sparked the interest of those bystanders.

“With confidence this time!”

“Miss Naomi, if it pleases you, will you go out with me!”

Tetsuya sighed again. This was part of his sister’s strange requirements for allowing anyone to date her, followed by…

“Tetsu!”

“I’m here, I’m here. No need to shout.”

With the ease of experience, Tetsuya swung the long bag off his back and withdrew two of those metal-cored, wooden swords. Casually tossing one each towards Naomi and her opponent, he returned the bag to his back.

Easily catching her weapon, Naomi, swung it to her side with a sharp whistling sound. Her opponent, a young man with a bulky frame, also caught his weapon without difficulty but, from his frown, you could tell that he was surprised at the weight.

“Hiroto, this is your one chance. If you can’t beat me, you give up your right to ever date me in the future. If you do win, and I still find you unsuitable, the same applies. Do you understand my conditions?”

“I do.”

“Then let’s begin.”

Tetsuya nodded in admiration. This Hiroto was well-informed and had a good temperament. Usually these random, would-be suitors were dumbfounded but this young man said no unnecessary words, accepting the conditions without argument. He might be one of the lucky ones.

A few years ago, not long after Naomi awakened Burning Soul, she had matured to the point that she began to be interested in a relationship with a man. However, she was firmly of the belief that the man should be the one to express his interest but, at the same time, she would be the one to determine if he was worthy.

Naturally, Naomi set restrictions on herself both for her sake and for the sake of her opponent. Her main condition was that she wouldn’t use Burning Soul. While a potent ability in her hands, as one who had by now mastered its elementary uses, it was far too conspicuous of an ability to pass off as a mere Weapon Skill. To those who knew what to look for, it was even more dangerous to use as it was the unique, bloodline ability of the Heavenly Flame Lily Clan and using it in public would risk putting a target on her back.

Apart from the benefits of keeping the ability hidden, it also meant that Naomi could set a baseline for anyone who tried to woo her. If they couldn’t defeat her even when she was holding back, then they had no place to even be considered as a potential partner.

Naomi levelled her weapon at Hiroto as if daring him to make a move before actually refusing to give him a chance and charging forward herself. When she moved, Tetsuya calmed noted the change in her eyes. Where before they were kind, playful even, now they were as sharp as a hawk’s. When Naomi was a few paces away from Hiroto, she stamped the ground hard, her body bending backwards at an almost ninety-degree angle while Hiroto’s sudden attack swooshed over her chest. Going with the momentum she created, Naomi backflipped before driving forward again as soon as she landed on her feet.

The rapid manoeuvre drew a few gasps from the audience, most of whom hadn’t even seen Hiroto preparing his strike, as Naomi’s display of acrobatics left them astounded. Tetsuya, on the other hand, nodded slightly in appreciation. Not many people around their age could cause his sister to pause in her advance once she had begun.

Naomi struck down towards Hiroto’s head, forcing him to block with a raised blade, like a roof over his head. However, his block was hurried and thus couldn’t deflect her blade off to the side. Instead, he could only push back against her. To everyone’s shock, Naomi leapt forward, weapon still locked, above Hiroto’s head. Feeling pressured, Hiroto pushed harder against her with his block. Those who were paying close attention could see a sly smile creep across Naomi’s face as she allowed herself to be launched up into the air.

The crowd shaded their eyes as they were forced to look up to see Naomi. What they didn’t, or rather couldn’t, see was the air blowing out from around her as a fleck of gold crossed her pupils. Even Hiroto directly below her was too far to notice anything out of place other than her abnormal launch height.

Naomi’s body rotated thrice in mid-air as she held her wooden sword, reversed, in one hand, allowing her momentum to build up into a devastating strike. Once he realised what was happening, Hiroto quickly stabbed his sword into the ground while a brief gust rose up around him. Naomi’s attack hit full-force but, to those who weren’t trained in Twin Energies it seemed like a miracle, her attack stopped about ten centimetres from Hiroto’s head as a loud BANG rang out along with a blast of air from the impact between her attack and Hiroto’s defensive Skill.

Without hesitating, Naomi drew her sword up and above her head like a scorpion’s stinger and another burst of wind swirled up the dust on the ground up into the air. Just like a scorpion, she brought the sword down, point-first, towards Hiroto. Not just once but over and over her wooden sword blurred until it was almost invisible each time she smashed it into Hiroto’s unseen barrier. Hiroto’s face paled visibly and it was obvious that just defending against Naomi’s Skill was taking its toll on him.

After about twenty hits, Naomi did a quick hop-step back and, just as everyone, including Hiroto, thought she was done, a vicious slicing wind, more potent than any of the previous ones, raged around her, causing her hair to sway strongly. She drew her index- and middle fingers of her left hand across the wooden sword and, visible to everyone, a shimmer of blue coated it, giving it a faint aura of danger.

Seeing this, Hiroto gulped. He knew from what his friend, Nagato, had said that Naomi was very strong so he didn’t let his guard down. Instead, he literally had his guard up for the entirety of the fight after his first attack had been avoided. The pressure she put on him never let up for more than a second and usually, within that second, she was preparing to increase the pressure tenfold. Taking careful note of that blue aura radiating from Naomi’s sword, Hiroto knew that, while she wouldn’t kill him, if he was hit by that sword, he would at least suffer a few broken bones.

Naomi dashed forward, intending to finish the fight with one last blow when, while she was less than a metre away from him, he dropped the wooden sword and raised his hands.

“I give up.”

Naomi stopped, her glowing wooden sword just a few centimetres from him, before slowly straightening up and flicking her sword to her side, the blue glow itself being flicked off like blood. Battle now over, Naomi’s eyes softened back to normal.

“You did well Hiroto. Not everyone your age can surrender calmly when faced with a Special-ranked Skill. You didn’t manage to get me to date you today but I do think that you will become quite strong with that kind of temperament.”

Retrieving the wooden sword from Hiroto, Naomi tossed both of them back to her brother.

“Tetsu.”

“Got it. You better hope that seller still has that Infernal Snake Leather when we get back there. With all these people that come to watch, you know how the sellers go crazy.”

While the crowd cheered at the display of the power of these young warriors, the look of disappointment was clear on Hiroto’s face as he watched the siblings disappear into the hustle and bustle of the marketplace district. Nagato walked up to him and gave him a friendly jab on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it. There are other fish in the sea.”

“Many fish, yes, but not that many Divine Sharks.”

“Wait, so she actually had random people come up to her asking to date her every time you went out?”

“Yep. It was kinda annoying but I think she enjoyed it.”

Kira let her polite manner slip slightly as her incredulousness reached a peak. When she was in her teens, all she got was still marriage proposals that she had the elders refuse as training was the only thing that brought her joy in that life. Hearing the story of how her mother was both strong and not completely devoted to training made Kira begin to rethink how she should live her life.

Tetsuya didn’t seem to notice Kira’s vocal slip as he pulled on his pipe and, frowning, tipped it upside-down to find it was empty. He put it back inside his scruffy cloak and rose from his seat.

“She had her oddities but in terms of fighting, no one could match her. She eventually left the city to travel on her own. The next time I saw her, she was head-over-heels for some guy called Koto. Whether she lowered her requirements because she actually liked him, I don’t know, but I doubt it. Anyways, enough chitter-chatter. We’ve got training to do.”

“I agree. I’m rested enough now Uncle, let us begin.”

But, Kira wasn’t strong yet and as such she didn’t have the luxury her mother did to be more carefree with her life. She did, however, have the advantage of time. Time spent training, time spent cultivating and time that was available to her to develop Burning Soul as she had awakened it so early and sorted out the perfect cultivation route.

‘Just wait, I’ll become strong enough to protect you all and still have a fulfilling life.’

[1] Nickname for Tetsuya. Tetsu on its own meaning “iron”.

[2] A type of mystical beast whose pelt is renowed for staying warm even after it dies. Used as lining for making winter clothes.