第３１８堀：一の太刀を疑わず 二の太刀要らず これ示現流といふなり (Part1)
**堀 318: Do not doubt the first strike; the second is unnecessary. This is what is called Jigen-ryu.**
**Side: Taizo Honme**
Cherry blossoms are caught in the wind, scattering their petals, dancing in the breeze, and dyeing the sky a soft shade of pink.
"My..."
"Th-this is... incredible..."
To me, it is a nostalgic sight, but for them, it is perhaps the first time they have witnessed such art woven by nature.
Well, even as I think that, I cannot take my eyes off the blizzard of petals.
It has been a little over eight years—not that long, considering the time I have lived—yet this scene evokes a deep sense of nostalgia.
Back home, whenever the cherry blossoms bloomed, we would always make merry together.
"Are you both ready? ...Wait, Taizo, are you really going in that outfit? This is a sword duel, isn't it?"
Luna-dono, who is overseeing the preparations for both parties, notices me and calls out.
My current attire is my usual military uniform. It is not traditional Japanese clothing.
"Jigen-ryu is a practical, realistic school of thought, designed to allow one to fight with a sword at any time, in any situation. Traditional Japanese clothing was merely the mainstream attire of that era; it is not a formal uniform for wielding a blade."
"Er, so that means you're ready?"
"Yes. Precisely."
There are many misconceptions about Jigen-ryu in this world.
First, the clothing. There is no such thing as a *dogi*—the specialized clothing for practicing swordsmanship. If someone wishes to learn, they are taught just as they are, in their everyday clothes. If one holds a sword, one can practice; I see no reason to go out of one's way to wear a uniform.
Enemies do not wait for you to be in formal attire or naked; they strike whenever they choose. Therefore, one must have the mindset to fight in any state. In other words, the clothes one wears every day are the most optimal for training.
*“If you are holding a sword, there is no need for bows.”*
In a battle where life and death are at stake, etiquette is unnecessary. Especially when both parties are armed with lethal weapons capable of taking a life. There is no meaning if you do not survive. I would not go so far as to say pride is unnecessary, but living is more important. That is how intense the world I came from was.
"You seem to understand that as well..."
And I am not the only one who knows this. My distant relative, Taiki-kun, stands there just like me, holding his sword while wearing his everyday clothes.
"Taizo-san. That’s not the sword you entrusted to Eoid, is it?"
"Indeed. That was the genuine article I had on me when I came here from Japan. This one I forged after arriving. It is more practical."
"...Isn't that a bit like fraud?"
"The fact that I handed over something precious remains unchanged. I never said I wouldn't carry a weapon."
"Well, it’s not like I’m fighting someone unarmed, so I suppose it’s fine."
Exchanging such light banter, we both naturally fall into our stances.
Jigen-ryu does not have any specific, rigid stances. While the *seigan* (middle) stance is generally common, the school assumes real combat, and one cannot always count on having the time to set a perfect posture. Therefore, one adopts the stance that suits oneself.
Taiki-kun takes the *hasso* (eight-phase) stance; I take the *gyaku-kesa* (reverse diagonal).
We stare at each other, not looking away for even a fleeting moment.
It feels as if time has stopped.
However, there is no hesitation in his eyes. Whether he was tempered by this world or if it is a natural quality he possessed from the start, I have no way of knowing.
That is exactly the right attitude for the path I am opposing.
What they say is likely correct in a comprehensive sense. But as I told them before, that leaves behind something troublesome. No, it is impossible to completely eliminate such lingering remnants. In this case, the "troublesome things" are people like Hifie-dono and Comet-dono.
They have raised the flag of rebellion against the current world with firm will and purpose. If this meeting had occurred before their declaration of war, things might have been settled peacefully, but the world does not seem to work that way. Their preparations are already complete.
Even if a superior comes along—someone who has been out of touch and left the methods entirely up to us—they cannot simply be convinced. Coupled with the special technology I, an anomaly, have introduced, they have become stubborn. They are half-convinced that they can carry out their goals.
It is a common human failing. The belief that the opponent cannot possibly be superior to oneself.
I can understand that, too. Who could easily believe that young boys are far superior in technique to a middle-aged man like me?
If we were in a state where we could properly talk things through, that problem might have been resolved. But as it stands, it is impossible. Even if their superior tells them to back off and claims that the others are better, there is no way to measure how much of that is the truth.
Personally, I believe it is the truth that they are better. But that is not enough. Even if I alone acknowledge them, the ladies will not bend their pride. In the end, even after this duel concludes, the hard feelings will remain, and in the worst case, it will lead to internal strife or civil war... using the weapons I left behind.
That is why I must remain here. I must stand on their side and limit the indiscriminate use of technology in war.
If their superior, Luna, would stop them, that would be fine, but judging by this duel, if they insist on fighting, she will not stop them. I felt that this, too, is part of "managing the world."
If Hifie-dono is not convinced by this duel, it will become a bloodbath. When that bloodbath comes, I must at least minimize the casualties and hasten the day when the youth can seize their own future.
That is the responsibility of the man who birthed weapons in this world and deemed it acceptable.
As I think of this, a cherry blossom petal drifts down before my eyes.
"Then, the duel shall now begin. Start!"
Luna-dono raises her voice.
With just that, we both lunge forward.
Taiki-kun’s earnest gaze pierces through me.
A good expression.
Show me. Show me a future that convinces them and surpasses me.
Show it to me, and make my anxiety and my response nothing more than meddling—the folly of an old man.
Child of the future.
He closes the distance with astonishing speed.
As expected of someone who has raised their "level" in this world.
But he is not the only one.
"!?"
He wears a look of surprise.
Did he think I couldn't move at this speed?
If that is all he has, it is impossible for him to replace Hifie-dono and the others.
...I shall strike him down with a single blow.
"CHESTOOO!!"
Piercing through a moment of vulnerability, I dive into Taiki-kun’s guard in a single step, shout from the depths of my gut, and swing my sword up from the reverse diagonal.
But there is no impact; the blade cuts through empty air in vain.
Hmm, he evaded with a single step.
However, the fact that he did not lunge forward even after seeing the opening of my missed strike suggests he hasn't just learned a superficial version of Jigen-ryu.
In these days, where literature has become commonplace, there is a mistaken story that if one dodges the first strike of Jigen-ryu, the practitioner is no better than an amateur. This is said to stem from the words of Kondo Isami, the commander of the Shinsengumi during the Bakumatsu period: "When fighting a Satsuma man, dodge the first strike."
However, neither Kondo-dono nor the soldiers of the Shinsengumi held such a misunderstanding.
Jigen-ryu is a technique adapted for real combat.