Mei knew swordsmanship; that much Evan already knew. As for the name "Hokushin Itto-ryu," that was naturally outside the scope of his memory. He didn't remember every single detail, nor did he know if the style possessed any transcendent power. After all, if an ordinary person could fight zombies and Honkai Beasts with mere swordsmanship, there wouldn't be a need for so many Valkyries.
Evan just wanted to learn some slashing techniques through swordsmanship. At what angle, with what method, and with what force should he strike to be most effective? That was his learning goal. If he ended up with Kiana's pistols instead of a blade-type weapon in the future, he might have to find an opportunity to learn Gun Kata from her.
However, unlike learning swordsmanship from Mei, learning Gun Kata from that white-haired idiot Kiana felt like willingly handing her blackmail material. It was better to avoid it if unnecessary.
Besides, once Kiana appeared at Senba Academy, his time would be short…
For now, he could only pray that the weapons lab at ME Corp had a bladed weapon.
Evan had originally planned for Mei to teach him swordsmanship later. Tomorrow was Monday, and he could use "learning swordsmanship" as an excuse to keep visiting her. But the moment he expressed his interest, Mei excitedly ran off to her dorm, returning shortly with two practice bamboo swords.
Her swift, decisive action made Evan raise an eyebrow.
"Is—is now not a good time?"
Mei noticed his expression and her face fell, clutching the two bamboo swords. Evan, who had only been slightly surprised by her efficiency, couldn't possibly bring himself to refuse when faced with her pitiful, heart-wrenching expression.
"Of course it's a good time."
The girl's face lit up with a smile, but then she froze. She opened her mouth as if to say something but ultimately remained silent, handing him one of the bamboo swords and taking a stance.
Evan didn't know kendo. All he could rely on was his superhuman physique—his strength, speed, eyesight, and reflexes. Even with just a single Shigure Kira (T), not even fully leveled up after evolution, his physical abilities completely outclassed an ordinary person's. Facing Mei, who had not yet become a Herrscher, he managed to keep the situation at a stalemate purely through his physical prowess. And that was with him holding back; otherwise, he could have broken through her defensive stance with brute force on the very first strike.
As his sparring partner, Mei had the clearest understanding of his situation, and she was even a little envious.
His reaction speed, which allowed him to strike second but land first, was, in her eyes, nothing short of prodigious talent. She even vaguely sensed that he wasn't using his full strength.
Moreover, after some initial awkwardness where his incorrect posture wasted much of his effort, he quickly observed her movements and adapted. His mistakes became smaller, fewer, and then disappeared entirely.
"You didn't approach me just to learn swordsmanship, did you?"
"Are you still doubting my motives, Mei? I'm heartbroken. I haven't done anything to hurt you so far, have I?"
"Are you really heartbroken? I'm sorry."
Mei was clearly still not used to Evan's exaggerated jokes. Or perhaps, with her gentle personality and the hypersensitivity she developed after her family's fall and her classmates' betrayal, she was just being overly cautious.
But Evan had no intention of changing how he interacted with her. If he was too polite, their relationship would never move beyond being "good friends." And he had no intention of limiting his relationship with Mei to just friendship.
He had poured so much time, energy, and money into a game, maxing out every Valkyrie's affection and perfecting their power. Now that he was actually in the world of Honkai, was he supposed to settle for just being ordinary friends with them? What a joke!
"I've heard that sparring in kendo is also a form of communication. So, through the clash of these bamboo swords, can you feel my heart, Mei? Can you guess if I'm truly heartbroken?"
The moment Evan said this, Mei knew he was joking again, but she still closed her eyes and tried to sense it seriously.
Evan thought that with her eyes closed, her sword skills would be less fluid. He instinctively held back even more, slowing his movements to avoid hurting her. To his surprise, Mei's swordplay became even more profound, bordering on perfection, and his reduced offense temporarily put him at a disadvantage.
So this is Hokushin Itto-ryu?
Just as Evan began to take it seriously, Mei, her eyes still closed, murmured softly.
"There's something holding you back in your heart… no… it's pressure. A great pressure. This pressure is so strange. Why… are you so obsessed with getting stronger?"
Mei's soft words made Evan's hand tremble on his bamboo sword. He took several steps back, putting distance between them.
"You can really sense a person's feelings through swordsmanship? What kind of divine sword style is this Hokushin Itto-ryu?"
Mei opened her deep eyes and looked at him, her gaze flickering.
"Weren't you the one who asked me to guess?"
"You should have known I was joking."
"It seems I guessed right, then? I don't actually know how to read minds, and Hokushin Itto-ryu isn't that magical. I just sensed some things. I know exactly what effect your initial force had. I've also experienced firsthand what a beginner feels and how they perform when they improve quickly. But in your rapidly improving sword strikes, I couldn't sense any pride or accomplishment from their owner. Not even joy. Only obsession. 'Get stronger, get stronger.' That's what your sword is telling me."