The Sword of Kaigen

by M.L. Wang

“I’m Kwang Chul-hee. Nice to meet you.” A northern name.

Mamoru had jumped from the steps to see what it felt like to fly. He had regretted the decision deeply when he hit the surface

Idk why i love this

“What fighting style?” Kwang raised his eyebrows. “Video games.”

Oh this is v interesting

“A lot of the classes are taught in Kaigengua.” That was standard across the Empire.

By the time they reached the school, the city boy was out of breath again.

Kumono Academy was built into the rock face, its inner structures carved right out of the mountain.

“Kumono wasn’t actually built to be a school,” Yuuta said. “It used to be a monastery.”

“Oh. That explains the decor,” Kwang said, eyeing the fearsome statues of Ryuhon Falleya saints standing guard at the doors.

“And they decided it was a good place for a school?” Kwang said, incredulous.

Bro being such a hater lmao

“Well, Kumono is Takayubi’s elite koro school,” Mamoru explained

you had to be an elite koro to reach it.”

The Yukino clan had none of the Matsudas’ secret bloodline techniques,

“Super easy, sir,” Kwang said, despite the obvious flush in his cheeks. “I can’t wait to do it again.”

Lmaooo

Kumono was a small enough high school—Takayubi was a small enough town—that no one worried much about theft.

“It’s like I stepped through a portal back in time.”

Misaki had always pictured herself having daughters. She had enjoyed the vague fantasy of raising powerful, forward-thinking young women

Aww i feel sad for her then

They belonged to the Matsuda house, as she did.

Many Shirojima women were ‘pretty,’ but Hyori was the kind of legendary beauty men went to war for.

Be careful, big brother, she wanted to say then, be careful how hard you love what you know you can’t have. But that also was not her place.

Then, instead of marrying a pure-blooded noblewoman of his family’s choosing, Takashi married the woman he loved—the peasant with the loud laugh who sold him his fresh fish.

This is so cute

Misaki’s second miscarriage, a loud burst of color when everything seemed gray.

been a time Misaki had been accused of smiling too much, but over the years, Takayubi had worn away at her, turning her into this quivering, brittle thing,

No. It was the inside of Misaki that was broken. “I miscarried,” she said bluntly, “twice.”

My family tried my cooking exactly once and then decided they’d rather live.”

Lmaooooo

“Ryo-kun, don’t,” Hyori warned. “Misaki-san is a lady. It’s not—” But the boy, overcome with joy at having a playmate,

Hey i didnt think we were lame like this

Misaki pointed the icicle down at his chest. “I am victorious!” she said dramatically. “Admit defeat or I shall tickle you!”

Japanese mulan

was an echo from a time when Misaki’s whole life had been happy.

“His father is Matsuda Takeru,” Hyori said, “master of the Whispering Blade, the greatest swordsman on the mountain.”

“Silly woman, you couldn’t possibly understand such matters. My manliness does not allow for human inflection.”

They would never change the world, nor understand why someone would want to, but they loved her. She could laugh with them, and that was enough.

According to legend, the flattened half-moon had been hewn out of the mountainside by the Whispering Blades of Matsudas long dead—Mamoru’s

“No jijaka can make ice strong enough to cut through steel!”

“Tajakalu may be able to use their physical strength to throw a projectile,”

“Fonyakalu may be able to use their nyama to push against

Our nyama is the projectile. When a weapon is made of ice, we can control it down to the molecule. As jijakalu, we are the only race of theonite who can fight with a solid ...

great families of Kusanagi were descended from the ocean gods who had dwelt in the Sea of Kaigen at the dawn of time.

But like many Matsudas before him, Mamoru experienced surges of madness when the feeling of his jiya consumed him.

power rolling through his body was born from the ancient forces that had raised Kaigen from the sea.

‘better than everyone else’ wasn’t good enough.

The force of a tsunami exploded through his palm.

“Matsudas are more than flashy fighters,” Yukino Sensei said. “They are leaders, and a leader must think of those around him.”

The Whispering Blade came from something deeper that Mamoru just didn’t understand.

What if I’m not enough?

you’ve already improved it and expanded it to all its potential applications. It’s rather annoying, as your teacher.”

Lmaooo

A student like you, who can absorb what he is told but also think beyond it, is capable of anything.”

“There were a number of factors that led to the Great War, or what the Yammankalu call the Keleba. Ke-le-ba.”

This kind of impurity dilutes the divine energies that give theonites their power.

This rebellion was put down the same year and its leaders publicly executed for their treason against the Empire.

This section feels like fourth wing ngl

Ranganese terrorists attacked a graduation ceremony at Daybreak Academy in Carytha, killing principal Oyede Biida along with several Yammanka and Kaigenese students.

This led to open war between Yamma and Sizwe. Abtya aligned with Yamma.