"Amamiya-kun, you have excellent stamina. Have you been working out regularly?"
Since Ren Amamiya was a complete beginner with no prior kendo experience, Raiden Mei didn't immediately jump into teaching him her family's Hokushin Itto-ryu.
Instead, she started with the fundamentals, explaining the basic knowledge and techniques of kendo, guiding him on the proper grip and how to generate power for standard strikes.
Initially, Mei had to stand close to Ren, physically correcting his awkward, improper postures. However, after correcting each movement just once, Ren could flawlessly execute that specific kendo motion.
Even to Mei's discerning eye—the eye of an exceptionally talented kendo expert—Ren's sword swings were impeccably correct and aesthetically pleasing, like textbook examples, leaving no room for criticism.
If Mei hadn't witnessed Ren's progression from clumsy swings to effortlessly delivering powerful strikes, she would have absolutely suspected he was putting on an act, that he was actually a seasoned practitioner with years of experience.
Furthermore, Ren's stamina was remarkably outstanding. He had been repeating the sword swings for a full two hours, yet his form showed no signs of deterioration, remaining just as precise and powerful as his very first strike.
Mei couldn't help but recall her own early days learning kendo. Although she was younger then, it had taken her a full three months to reach the point where she could swing continuously for two hours without her movements becoming sluggish or strained. Yet Ren achieved this milestone almost immediately upon starting. His talent for kendo genuinely impressed Mei.
She had considered the possibility of Ren having poor aptitude, and also the possibility of him being very talented. But she never imagined his kendo talent could be this exceptional.
"Yeah, I do work out," Ren replied.
Even Ren himself was surprised by the latent power within his body—swinging continuously for two hours, each strike carrying the exact same force. Doing this while fresh might have been attributable to exceptional talent, perhaps.
But Ren had just returned from exploring Mementos with Hare before coming to the Kendo Club. Recovering his physical strength so quickly, possessing seemingly inexhaustible, monstrous stamina—this completely exceeded his own expectations.
"The human body is truly amazing," he mused.
At Mei's suggestion to take a break, Ren stopped the two-hour swinging practice. He casually lowered the bamboo sword (shinai) towards the smooth wooden floor of the dojo and accepted the white towel Mei thoughtfully handed him, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Unlike the mentally taxing high-intensity battles, kendo training, while physically demanding, gave Ren a satisfying feeling of growing stronger. As sweat poured out from the exertion, he felt his spirit becoming nourished.
This must be a perk from awakening my Persona, he figured. Not only are my physical abilities significantly enhanced in Mementos, but I still benefit from residual physical boosts even in the real world.
Although Mei had told him to stop, Ren felt he could probably keep swinging for another hour or two. However, since he planned to explore Mementos with Hare again tomorrow, he couldn't expend all his energy on kendo training.
Burning himself out now and being unable to perform at full capacity in Mementos the next day would be counterproductive.
"Amamiya-kun, your talent for kendo is outstanding. Even better than mine, perhaps."
A genuine look of delight appeared in Mei's amethyst eyes. She wasn't the type to be arrogant about her own skills. Discovering Ren's talent surpassed hers didn't evoke jealousy or dissatisfaction; instead, she felt truly happy for him. Her desire to teach him her family's Hokushin Itto-ryu intensified.
"At your current pace, Amamiya-kun, it should only take about a week... If you practice diligently on your own, perhaps just three to five days, before you can officially begin learning Hokushin Itto-ryu."
Mei pondered for a moment, estimating the time needed for Ren to meet the prerequisites for learning Hokushin Itto-ryu based on the talent he displayed.
"That's too slow. I want to learn Hokushin Itto-ryu techniques faster... Mei-senpai, are you usually free? I can pay you for private lessons."
Earning the approval of Raiden Mei—who achieved Menkyo Kaiden in Hokushin Itto-ryu in a short time—and being told he could start learning the style within a week? To anyone knowledgeable, this evaluation was already astonishing, enough to declare Ren a prodigy, a genius born for kendo.
But Ren frowned, unsatisfied. He wasn't learning kendo just for fitness; he was learning it to save the world! And skills meant for saving the world needed to be learned as quickly as possible to be useful sooner rather than later.
Asking for private lessons after knowing Mei for only two hours felt abrupt. Plus, Chiba Academy was clearly a school for the wealthy; as the Kendo Club captain, Mei was undoubtedly a rich young lady who didn't need the money.
But Ren, determined to learn the combat-enhancing Hokushin Itto-ryu as fast as possible, still made the request for extra practice. Relying solely on club activity time felt completely insufficient to him. Right now, he wished he could just slip into the Dark Hour and make each day 25 hours long.
"Haste makes waste. Whether it's kendo or anything else, steady progress is necessary... Hmm, but perhaps with you, Amamiya-kun, speeding things up might be alright."
Mei initially frowned instinctively, about to gently admonish Ren.
Kendo wasn't something achieved overnight, and the human body wasn't an indestructible machine. Over-training only led to injury, hindering progress.
Mei had seen countless people end up in the hospital with rhabdomyolysis from improper training intensity during her own kendo journey.
However, as Mei's gaze lingered on Ren's face, her potentially stern tone suddenly softened once more.