(Unsheathe your katana here and attack.)

(Turn around, look at the person behind you and parry their attack.)

Good. Your movements look much sharper!

But your katana looked light...

It didn't seem to weigh anything, you know?

It looked light...?

(I see... As Kurama Tengu, I thought I was supposed to be as light as possible on my feet as I moved around, but...)

Fleet footwork isn't all he has.

He also possesses monstrous strength, which allows him to swing around a heavy sword with ease.

I'd forgotten that he isn't actually human. I failed to capture that part of him just now.

...!

Yes, that's exactly what I wanted to say!

(However, a bamboo sword weighs but a fraction of a real one. I can act all I want, but I'm not sure I'll be able to make it look heavy...)

(So, how do I go about this problem...?)

Is something wrong, Kamishiro...?

Oh, sorry.

I was just wondering how I'm going to make my katana feel heavy.

Right...

I guess the best solution is to hold a real one.

A real one...

But actually finding one sounds a bit difficult.

I happen to know someone at a shop that sells swords. Want me to ask them? They might be willing to help you out.

Really? Yes, please.

Alright, I'll try asking them.

Should I tell them that all four of you are going?

Yes, that would be incredibly helpful.

And thank you for going out of your way to do this.

(I can't believe they're willing to do so much for us.)

(Still, if I'm learning about katanas, I don't want to stop at just holding one...)

(Seeing all those real katanas with Tsukasa and the others was such a wonderful learning experience.)

(We got to try holding all types, large and small. They even let us equip some in order to see how heavy they felt at our waist.)

(And I really wasn't expecting them to show us the tang underneath where the handle would go.)

Anyway...

I was able to get the lumber I wanted at the store...

So, let's start making that practice sword.

(I got to see quite a lot today.

And making my own sword should help deepen my understanding of the subject.)

(It's unfortunate that I can't make a real one here since that would be the best solution...)

(But making a wooden one should help further solidify what I saw today in my mind.)

Not to mention this is my very first time crafting one from scratch. This is all very exciting.

Now, which part should I work on first?

Why don't I begin with the blade?

That should be the easiest place to start.

(I'll mark where I need to cut with my pen and saw accordingly...)

(Next, the tip... I'll need to carefully shave a round corner off the edge here.)

Phew...

It's beginning to look like a real katana now.

The surface is still a little rough, but I can deal with that later by sanding it.

(Still, it feels much thicker than the ones we saw today. I think I'll make it thinner and...)

Okay, it feels about as thin as a real one. But it appears it would be weak to strikes from the side...

(Which means I won't want to parry attacks the same way I did during practice the other day.)

(Also, where I place this katana's center of gravity will likely change how I'm able to wield it.)

(The closer it is to my hand, the easier it will be to swing around, but at the cost of power. On the other hand, the closer it is to the tip, the heavier it'll seem.)

(Still, Kurama Tengu would probably have no problem swinging around such a weapon...)

(I'm glad I'm doing this. I'm learning so much.)

(Unsheathe, then...)

(Turn around. You'll see one of the Taira henchmen trying to take a chop at you and...)

(Parry while also trying to dodge!

Taking that attack head-on would mean damaging your katana.)

(This katana's center of gravity sits at the tip, so it wobbling this much is normal when parrying an attack...)

(But I'm Kurama Tengu.

I should be able to swing a blade like this as easily as breathing.)

(Step, flex your wrist muscles and slice!)

That was awesome, Kamishiro...!

The way you moved just now was so realistic.

Yeah! I guess you've gotten a better understanding of how Kurama Tengu's supposed to fight.

Thank you.

Still, I can't believe it.

You've improved so much in such a short amount of time.

Did you guys actually go check out some real katanas at that shop we talked about the other day?

Yes, we did. That ended up being an invaluable experience for us. Thank you for introducing us to them.

No, don't worry about that.

All I did was make one phone call.

In any case, this scene's gonna feel so different now. Is this all really because of that one visit?

No, not quite... Actually holding real katanas did help, but I also ended up making a wooden one for practice afterwards.

A wooden one?

Yes. I thought actually making one myself would help me achieve a better understanding of swords as opposed to just seeing and feeling some.

And it helped quite a lot. Now I know that the broadside of a katana is very brittle, as well as how they were designed to cut while being unsheathed.

Wow, that's how you learned?

It's a unique approach, but I kinda like it.

It's great that you have your own methodology! I think we're all looking forward to how the final product turns out.

Thank you.

I appreciate you saying that.

(My own methodology, eh...?)

(The thought of making my own katana just sort of popped into my head, but I'm glad that I was able to apply everything that I've learned until now.)

(And I should use this momentum I've built up to become a better swordfighter.)

(I still have a number of ideas as to how I can wield a katana more like Kurama Tengu.)