The essence of enlightenment is the repetition of forgetfulness and internalization.
It’s not like suddenly the flash of enlightenment illuminates the lightbulb in your head.
Why is it that the word ‘procrastination’ can be forgotten by tomorrow, while the word ‘apple’ is never forgotten?
It’s because the pure form that the word embodies has been vividly engraved in the brain.
In Zen Buddhism, they even referred to it as ‘don-o-jeom-su’, highlighting the importance of temporary awakening and repetitive practice.
Listening attentively to the virtues of ancestors, warm spring finally arrived for Katsuhata Emika after enduring a month of Spartan training.
“Uh… since when?”
A flower bloomed from the tip of Emika’s sword.
Bright pink leaves sprouted after long enduring winter.
Would it blossom in the air or extinguish if held? Emika cautiously brought her sword forward.
Her eyes observing the shimmering aura twinkled like cherry blossoms.
“It’s okay. It’s not going to disappear that easily.”
I approached her to reassure her.
“Is this really my aura?”
When Emika asked, her eyes wide, I nodded my head.
“In fact, signs had been present for quite some time. Today was simply when you became aware of it.”
Just as enlightenment is a continuous process, the external manifestation is not distinctly defined.
It could be visible only to oneself or only to others, and there’s plenty of aura that can be felt even if it isn’t seen.
However, visual information always provides humans with a strong sense of certainty.
“You did it! Congratulations.”
“Uh…! Aaaaah! Na-me, I did it!”
Emika hugged me tightly and shook me around.
“I get it, now put me down—”
“Wooaah! Aura! It’s an aura! I managed to bring out my aura! Master, Lord! I did it!”
“Ugh.”
I felt like I was going to get motion sickness.
Even Emika, who usually seemed blunt, couldn’t contain her joy today.
She dashed outside barefoot to call for the members of the Katsuhata Sect.
“Ow ow!”
Even as she felt the pain of walking on the pressure point paths, she chuckled with delight. Was it really that good?
“Is it really true? Did you achieve external manifestation?”
“Are you sure you didn’t mistake it for Na-me’s?”
Soon after, seniors and people dressed in white uniforms rushed to the training arena.
“Yes! It definitely was my aura! Pink… I saw pink cherry blossom petals with my own eyes!”
Emika confidently replied.
The leader was absent due to work, and her master, Koizumi Yoshihiro, entered slowly, leaning on a cane made of wild rice.
“Know that if you lie about this like last time, you’ll be in big trouble.”
“It’s true… please believe me, Master!”
It seemed like Emika was misunderstood as feigning illness to avoid my lesson.
I climbed onto a suitable rock and calmly watched Emika’s demonstration.
“Then I will start.”
Emika closed her eyes and performed a sword dance.
Connecting the heavens and earth, human and blade.
She raised the sword high, as if to touch the sun.
From the Aura Heart, thin threads flowed out and swayed around.
Drawing on the natural energy from the sky and the nutrients of life from the earth, Emika’s aura finally bloomed.
“Ooooh!”
“Is this cherry blossoms?”
Clear pink aura petals melted upon touching the cold metal.
The silvery blade gradually tinted with the colors of spring.
“It’s as if I’ve become an immortal!”
All martial studies of the Katsuhata Sect originated from Taoism.
The fact that such high praise came from her master made Emika smile brightly.
At that moment…
“Uh, Miss, your sword…?”
The petals were blooming wildly, without knowing the degree.
The sword began to change from pink to a bright red rose color.
I watched the scene with fascination.
In Emika’s imaginary world, if the petals fall, they do not decompose.
‘Instead, they seem to transform into thermal energy.’
Whoosh—
The fiery flowers exploded into bloom and the flames slowly subsided.
Thus was born a lightsaber whose boundary layers were indiscernible.
As the remnants of the aura crackled like sparks, the green grass planted below turned black.
Koizumi Yoshihiro shouted in horror at this horrific act of environmental destruction.
“Emika, what on earth is this!”
“Huh? Why are you—whoa, what is this?”
When Emika opened her eyes and witnessed the blazing lightsaber, she dropped it from her hands.
Fortunately, since it was a sword made of aura, the fire did not spread, but the lightsaber left a gray soot mark in its wake.
“I thought it was strange. It should have produced a lightsaber, yet suddenly, flower petals appeared.”
After that, Emika tried external manifestation several times, but the results were always the same.
Each time, the cherry blossoms became the igniters and magnificently burnt away.
I waved my hand to call Emika.
“Emika, try to pull the aura sword from your palm. Imagine the feeling of stretching the flour dough you’re holding.”
Emika produced the red aura with her empty other hand.
It was not a thread but rather a sword that already had a definite shape.
“This can’t possibly be aura unless it’s some kind of magic!”
“How about trying Adela as well? Ah, I’ll handle the Demon King’s Horn for you.”
“Right now? Here?”
“You should show it while everyone’s gathered. Why else did your sister go through all this trouble?”
[Spellcasting: Demon King’s Horn]
A pair of dull blue horns sprouted from between Emika’s neatly arranged hair.
“Uh, Na-me, I think this is a bit too much…”
Emika hesitantly murmured.
In her pure white uniform, with a red lightsaber in both hands, and horns on her head, she looked as if she had jumped straight out of a Japanese anime.
She immediately drew a magic circle.
Whether it was due to embarrassment, her hands moving to draw the circuit spell were quite hasty.
[Activation: Adela]
She shot gears towards a scarecrow and fixed the target.
Whirr—
The red lightsaber pierced through the spinning magic circle.
The deadly blade sequentially engraved into the magic circle.
The marihuana resonated and even the magic circle turned the same red color.
[Unique Magic – アデラ]
[10 Connections]
[Break]
Boom—
Unique magic Adela delivers overlapping physical shocks.
But what if the physical shock originated from the marihuana?
According to Clement’s theorem, the wavelength of the marihuana can be expressed as the product of mana and aura, and the initial characteristic value of the aura is also preserved.
If the aura explodes, the unique magic will explode as well, and if the aura has extreme low temperatures, the unique magic will also freeze the target solid.
“Whoa! That’s an unbelievable amount of power.”
The explosion hitting temperatures of 5000 degrees results in a chain reaction.
The scarecrow, dealt with by barrier mana, was shattered beyond recognition.
“Ugh… arg…”
Emika gasped for breath.
It wasn’t because she was tired.
“It seems you were quite startled by the power.”
After casting the unique magic, the lightsaber vanished immediately.
It would still be difficult to maintain external manifestation for long.
Emika wiped the beads of cold sweat and expressed her thoughts.
“With the sword, it’s swordsmanship, and with swordsmanship, it’s a sword. I think I finally understand what Na-me meant by that.”
“Really? What do you think it meant?”
“It feels too wasteful if this isn’t a sword, and too regretful if this isn’t swordsmanship, right?”
In response to Emika’s inquiry, I lifted the corners of my mouth.
“You’re absolutely right, Katsuhata Emika.”
*
[Katsuhata Sect Returns From Training Camp in Korea | Katsuhata Emika Joins National Exchange Tournament Delegation]
[Is the Sword Saint Kamiizumi Nobutsuna Reincarnated? Katsuhata Emika Successfully Achieves External Manifestation of Aura in Training Camp.]
[Photo News) The Oni Clan’s Beautiful Girl Steals Fans’ Hearts (+21)]
The Japanese public focused on Emika.
The girl, once hailed as Japan’s greatest prodigy, faced significant setbacks on the world stage.
Except for a few trolls, most hoped Emika would rise again, just like a shonen manga cliche, and return the favor later.
‘Still, why Korea? Did the Katsuhata Sect throw away their pride?’
However, the height that Emika reached was enough to quell numerous controversies.
‘So, a beautiful girl with horns like an oni, waving a lightsaber from Star Wars, will be seen next month at Tokyo Stadium?’
Just as one is about to curse, it quickly disappears.
With a month left before the National Exchange Tournament, the Katsuhata Sect concluded all training and held interviews in public.
“Our goal is, of course, victory. I’ve never thought about anything except winning. I will show the world why Japan is number one without any reservations at the National Exchange Tournament.”
Emika’s statement boosted the self-esteem of the Japanese people, who had been ridiculed by the world.
When asked who she most wanted to compete against, Emika smiled slightly.
“I’m not sure about this year, but I hope to meet NoName at next year’s exchange tournament in Paris. I think everyone who has seen her dazzling talent will share my feelings.”
Emika’s spontaneous shoutout led to thousands of articles written worldwide.
The ones most excited were the Korean netizens.
*
[Let’s meet when we turn 10! The Controversial Interview of Japan’s Genius Sword Saint!]
“Look at this kid. Does she really think she can just look down on me because of age?”
I blandly watched the news while brushing the hair of Adella, who had just finished bathing.
She swallowed a whole boiled egg without even cutting it.
“Mmm. It’s all because you haven’t hit your head hard enough. Won’t she just say that and not show up next year?”
“Ah, get your tail out of the way. Do you want to keep distracting me with aura too?”
“I’m comfortable this way! I’ve lived my whole life with a tail, so it’s weird without it!”
“You saying your whole life only has a few months of memories doesn’t add up.”
“To me, that’s a lifetime! And what’s the big deal about external manifestation? It’s so easy.”
Adella suddenly performed a juggling act with her tail.
Yeah, with how unfair the world is, what can I do?
“Alright, let’s go.”
“But that manager from a conglomerate, he’s normal, right?”
“Oh, he’s apparently waiting in front of the underground parking lot. He’s sending the car.”
“Please tell me he doesn’t have some weird fetish about cat ears or wanting to taste my tail!”
“Why do you ask that?”
“Just worried. That guy’s nickname is kinda… no, very bizarre!”
I had not forgotten the promise with the manager, Lee Bo-reum, to introduce her to Adella.
If only during the trip, I could also get a discount on the debt, maybe about 50 million won.
