PP/NK - F17 Days of the Five Rings (Day 1: Earth / Daytime) (Baldur)

[Calrex 0]

Quote

To: Baldur
From: Calrex

Hey Baldur, I hope things are well with you. If you have the time I would like yo request your assistance on the seventeenth floor. Go ahead and meet me at the gate leading out of Athenaia. This may be something that will take a few days, so if you only have some time each day that's perfectly fine. My only question: To take or spare.

Sending out the message with the secret phrase he had made with Baldur some time back Calrex looked around at the main settlement of the Ancient Greece-themed floor. Giving a small sigh he looked around, his blue colored gear standing out against the sandy color scheme of the floor. "It's a good thing I didn't focus on stealth, because with my overly blue scheme I'd stand out like a sore thumb."

It hadn't been too long ago that he had gone on a training excursion with Teayre, discussing with her about what was happening with her, and why past events occurred when they did. Things didn't exactly progress as he had hoped, and each time he thought back on it he could only wish to kick himself in the pants sooner. "That passivity I had, it only let things get worse. Self of the past, demon inside? Tch, sometimes the things she says just makes me laugh. She's only a few years younger than me, and yet sometimes her mind is like that of a child."

"So put her in her place..."

"I thought I told you to keep quiet...gh!"

Feeling Achilles' influence try to overwhelm his psyche once again the bluenette forced back the confidence that made him nearly sick with disgust, "Geezes...Tristan did you have to deal with this when you had this skill? Or is it because I've been leveling it up that it's getting stronger now..."

Taking a few breaths to recollect himself the bluenette swiped on his menu, looking at the effects of his past trainings. A new skill had appeared, filling the last slot in his skills list. The One-Handed Curved Sword skill: The weapon used exclusively by Zelrius and Takenil in the past, at least to his knowledge, and the gateway ability to unlocking the Katana Extra Skill, the weapon used by many, including Baldur and Teayre.

"If I can't show with words, then I need to do so by example. If Teayre plans to give the Battojutsu skill and Muramasa away, then I need to show her, remind her, of how a true martial artist fights. Rage, blind strikes, an assault aiming to overpower your enemy...while they are a method to victory, it is one that is reckless. I will never be able to embrace the madness of such a fighting style, so I need to exemplify and channel the way I know how to fight."

With a swipe of his menu the Grand Blade II vanished in a flash of light, a long and slender curved sword appearing on his hip. A katana. While the blade itself couldn't be seen while sheathed, the golden eagle hilt made the weapon's appearance clear to him. The Oikawa Kanashiki, the very weapon he had Oikawa forge for Teayre back when they were first starting out in the game.

"Baldur and I seem to share many insights into the background of Japanese folklore, culture, and martial arts. If the darkness within Teayre is being amplified by the Muramasa, then I will need to purify that influence from her, by channeling the ideals behind the Masamune."

[Baldur 0]

Baldur had been relaxing by the fountain outside the Starlight Cafe when he suddenly got a message. Idly poking at the icon hovering in his vision, he called up the message bringing it front and center.

Quote

To: Baldur
From: Calrex

Hey Baldur, I hope things are well with you. If you have the time I would like yo request your assistance on the seventeenth floor. Go ahead and meet me at the gate leading out of Athenaia. This may be something that will take a few days, so if you only have some time each day that's perfectly fine. My only question: To take or spare.

"Holy $#!7" Baldur almost fell over backwards into the fountain when he read Cal's message.

That message was not the casual one it appeared to be. The code words at the end of the message conveyed to Baldur a severity that no amount of language or expletives or punctuation could. To Calrex, this was a request of life or death severity. It conveyed to Baldur that his request was one that dealt with the very core of who he was.

And now it was up to Baldur to put up, or shut up.

He had no way to kill Calrex, if it came down to it. Between thorns and his unique skill, Baldur would probably kill himself before killing Calrex, but it didn't seem like that was the request he was making. And Baldur had already committed to his friend that he would die in the attempt if it came down to it. They had come up with the code words as a means for Baldur to save his own life. They were words that were meant to shock Calrex, so that if they ever had to be used, he would know that Baldur was about to risk his life. To get them back from Calrex... what did it mean?

Baldur checked to make sure he had his raid consumables. They might be all that keeps him alive if it came down to it.

"Alright, kouhei, time to see what's up."

Equipping his raid gear, Baldur headed up to the 17th floor.

---

Baldur arrived near the gate a short time later. He saw the blue figure of the Ultramarine knight off in the distance and hesitated. Whatever battle Calrex faced, Baldur would be there to help him through it, even if it cost his life. Take a deep breath, Baldur moved forward.

"Ohayo, Cal-kun!" He said with a smile on his face, and his hand waving high above his head to get his attention at this distance.

[Calrex 0]

"Hm?"

As he heard the short version of his name resound from to his right Calrex turned his head to see the very person he had sent the message to, the samurai-themed swordsman making his way over, "Well...I guess it would only make sense. That secret phrase is something of great importance, so both of us would only respond in kind."

Pushing off of the wall he was resting against the bluenette turned to face his teammate as he gave a wave of his own, "Hey Baldur, good to see you're doing well."

He gave his usual friendly smile at the sign of the man. As since when he was first starting out as an active player within SAO, it was always nice to see a friendly face. Baldur had come in and out of his travels in the past, but it appeared that now the man would be here to stay, at least for a while. The Ultramarine Knight himself had surpassed him long ago, but that didn't change the level of respect for him. With their recent talks back on the tenth floor, it had only increased, with the katana-wielder being somewhat of a role model for himself.

"Glad you were able to make it."

Putting a hand behind to grasp at the back of his neck he felt an awkward bead of sweat form on the side of his head, "Not really sure if this is exactly as dire as my message sounded to be, but I figured it would be best to have you here to explain what my plans are."

With a calming breath he centered himself before beginning, "I'm still not sure if you have met Teayre, but I had a chance to finally talk with her about everything that's happened..."

Making sure his words were clear before continuing the bluenette resumed, "If you do not already know, it appears that each of the unique skills that everyone seems to have such an attraction for, appear to have a psychological side-effect. Ssendom once hinted at it when I was with him, but I didn't fully understand it until Tristan gave me Achilles. Each of these skills bears a presence, one that seems to try and take over our own personality. It is one that only grows more present and ever stronger with each rank put into it. For Achilles, it appears to characterize the personality of an unbeatable warrior. More than once now I've felt myself nearly overcome with an overwhelming confidence, a level of hubris that would rival even the most boastful of individuals."

Resting his hand on the katana at his hip he gave a nod, "From what Teayre and I had discussed...I think that the same for Battojutsu. It seems that it's personified as a bloodlust, one that is linked to the Muramasa unique weapon which is paired with the skill. That to go along with all that's happened in her past...it only seems to make things that much harder to get through to her."

Putting his hands into his pockets he gave a small sigh, "I don't think I'll be able to convey my words to her anymore than I've already done, so I feel it might be I need to show her through example...Baldur...I want you to show me how to use a katana. If Teayre's being influenced by the Muramasa, then I want to try and rid her of it by following the ideas behind the Masamune."

[Baldur 0]

Calrex hit him with a lot of dense information. Unique skills altering players minds? Teayre had one, and it was battoujutsu no less? And now Calrex was coming to Baldur to teach him how to use the katana so that he could speak to Teayre through his blade. If he had tried to read with her and couldn't, then this made sense. If he show her that there was another way, then maybe he could, in fact, reach her where words had failed.

"Wow... that's... a lot to process my friend. So you want me to teach you how to use the katana?"

Baldur had to admit he was a bit humbled. Calrex could obviously just put the skill points into it and gain the sword arts and catch up with both him and Teayre, but what he was looking for was more. He wanted the philosophy of the blade so that he could fight Teayre's philosophy. How could he even accomplish this task? It was a lot to throw on Baldur all at once.

"I'm... not sure I know how to begin my friend. It's very different here in the digital world than in real life... but..." Baldur looked down at the blade Calrex had at his hip, and he heard the desperation in his friend's voice. This was Cal's wife, his principles, his mission, that they were dealing with.

"Alright, well... I guess let's start with the concept of Zen."

From their conversations, Baldur felt like he could breeze through a lot of this pretty quickly, since Calrex would be familiar with the concepts.

"The difference between -jutsu and -do is the difference between it being a martial art, and it being a meditative art, perfection of the self."

Baldur stepped away from Cal and moved to sit down in the traditional japanese manner, but this time there was something more ritualistic about it as Baldur adjusted his hakama before sitting down.

"The rituals are there for the sake of zen, for meditation. It is the practice, repetition, and the perfect of the simple tasks that bring about the ability to forge your spirit. Battoujutsu, also called Iaido, is affectionately known among Kendoka for being maddening, because as soon as you feel like you've gotten something right, the Sensei would come along and point out five things you didn't even know you were supposed to be doing, and then tell you to practice until you had perfected it."

Without activating a sword art, Baldur began to perform a basic nukiuchi. He rose from the sitting position with a grace Cal had not seen from Baldur before. The blue and orange samurai was in precise control of every movement he made, and he moved with an ethereal grace. The way he rose from his knees almost seemed awkward, but he was constantly in motion as he smoothly slid into a series of slashes, the air whistling with each cut. Once Baldur had performed the strikes, he very slowly returned the blade to his saya almost reverently. At the very end, he slid his hand off of the end of the handle, hesitating for a moment, and then gesturing like he was flicking something away.

"I won't make you learn and practice kata as my Sensei did, but rather I want you to understand the concept of Zen in Japanese swordsmanship. If Teayre has fallen prey to the rage of the Muramasa, then you will need the peace of the Masamune. Always remaining at peace, always remaining in control, and developing the patience to pursue perfection of a single move."

[Calrex 0]

As Baldur began his explanation and demonstration Calrex gave a nod as he watched the man go through the movements. It was a smooth and flowing performance, and one that was definitely a world apart from the Sword Arts of the game. The techniques and combinations programmed into the game were most certainly, as the bluenette could easily tell, loosely based on real world martial arts. Many of the techniques defied physics and would likely put unnecessary stress on the body. However, as a result, many amazing and powerful techniques could be strung together in a form of aesthetic that would appeal to majority of players. After all, it is common to want to be a better version of oneself, one that could do feats that broke and conceptions of reality.

However, the samurai-themed warrior's demonstration, while absent of that other-worldly quality, still maintained a grace that he found to some level entrancing. The moves were simplistic, yet held an inner power that one may not pick up on unless they were accustomed to martial arts. Each technique held conviction and dedication, as if any outside force would be repelled immediately and effortlessly. "Zen, huh? Heh, to be honest I have heard of the concept before, and maybe at times I had thought I had come close to such and idea, but maybe I might have been more off than I initially thought."

Gently grasping the Oikawa Kanashiki with his sword arm he let his free hand wrap around the mouth of the sheath, giving a slight pull with both arms. The blade lock disengaged as the blade exited the sheath as he slowly extracted the entirety of the weapon, "You may not already know Baldur, but in the real world dabbling in martial arts techniques is actually a hobby of mine. Escrima, jeet kun do, muay boran, krav maga, and even basic kendo are things I have touched on, albeit not in a formal or traditional setting. Such is the way of the internet right? In any case, I may be a bit familiar with the idea of Zen, the the belief that being at peace, even in the midst of combat, is key. I'm sure you're familiar with the word zanshin, the state of mental awareness even after completing a technique, ready in the sense that there may be another opponent on top of you by the time your attack completed. In Chinese martial arts they have their own beliefs, including that of the spiritual energy called chi, which in some ways is the river of life that flows through all things inanimate and the like."

Standing sideways from his teammate he assumed a stance, bending his knees. Calmly raising his sword with both hands above his head he exhaled before bringing the blade down in front of him, much like one would cast a fishing line. The sword swished through the air, ending parallel to the ground in front of the bluenette's waist. He could already tell he had messed up his posture in some ways: His wrists were drawn forward, out of position, while his stance had broken for a second as the sword came down, "I can already see what you mean about iaido. In that one movement I already and kicking myself in my head. While perfection is impossible, striving to do so can get one extremely close to it, so much that someone else might mistake it for actuality."

Lowering his sword he calmly resheathed it, holding the sheath at the mouth before drawing the back of the katana across the gap between his thumb and pointer until the tip came into position over the entrance. Bringing his elbow slightly up he slid the blade back into the scabbard, "This sword at my hip is actually the first weapon I had Oikawa make for Teayre, called the Oikawa Kanashiki. Back when we were still lower level, I had this commissioned as a reminder to her, that no matter what tragedies she had experienced in her past, that she would always have the strength to cut through them, hence the name, to cut through sadness."

[Baldur 0]

Baldur smiled thoughtfully at the story that Cal related to him, both of his background in real life, which would help Baldur know how to train his Kouhei, but also of the bond between he and Teayre - that was important information as well, so that Baldur could help guide his friend's spirit. A slight smile creeped up on the side of Baldur's lips as he thought of a mantra that was out of place in this anime inspired world, but he spoke the words anyways.

"The blade is the heart of the Jedi."

Baldur tried to laugh at his own words. It seemed ridiculous to treasure words of pop-culture, but they had a root in eastern philosophy.

"The Samurai believed that he and the blade were one, that the blade itself was their soul. I think you are on to something with that blade, and helping bring Teayre home to you and to her former self." It was a beautiful blade, and one that may lack in mechanical significance, but which carried a powerful spiritual one. Baldur could teach Calrex martial arts relating to the blade, but that wouldn't help them in Sword Art Online, where the system assisted moves were far faster and more powerful than anyone could keep up with. Instead, he had to hone Calrex's spirit.

"With all of that martial arts background, then you are already familiar with ma'ai, not just the spacing but the pacing. This is an important concept of both Zen, and Zanshin, since they are both related in subtle ways."

Baldur drew his blade and stood in an almost lunged position, with his right foot forward and the blade pointed down almost at a fourty-five degree angle. "We call this Zanshin, but really it's more than that. Zanshin isn't just a ready stance, or a moment of awareness, it is tied to Zen because you are a part of the world around you. You need to feel it. Your eyes can deceive you, and with sword arts, you will never keep up with watching the blade. When I fenced in the real world, one of the first things they taught us was not to watch the blade. Your eyes would never keep up with it, you needed to watch your opponent. Let them tell you where they were going."

Baldur did a simple demonstration by whipping the sword around faster than the eye could see, never trying to strike Cal, but making it difficult to for him to follow the blade.

"But if I were to suddenly lunge for you, or rush you." He suddenly pounced forward, but away from his friend. "That is easier to see, and if you're watching me, you can read me. Zanshin is about maintaining situational awareness, of yourself, of your opponents, of your terrain, of your purpose. In this fight with Teayre, it is less about the Blade and more about the spirit. The concept of Zanshin will help keep you on the right track."

"Your spirit is going to be your weapon of choice in this fight. You have armed yourself well with the blade, but it is more powerful as a symbol than as a tool. If you have done kendo, then I am sure you are familiar with ki-ken-tai-ichi, the unification of spirit, sword and body, but really this is just another aspect of Zen. However, kendo puts emphasis on spiritual warfare through the kiai. You must reach her spirit with yours, and to do that, your body, your spirit, and your blade need to be one. When that happens, your kiai will be powerful enough to create an opening."

Baldur faced his friend, and suddenly gave a might shout as he raised his sword high above his head as if he were to strike. It was form and function perfect to what you'd see in a dojo, and his deeper voice carried. Baldur nodded at his friend and reset.

"That is what happens when you yell."

Then Baldur took a deep breath and looked into himself. He pulled up the memories of the world they left behind. He remembered the faces of his parents, his bothers, his nephews, and of Tyger's face in the real world. He remembered Azide dying as he himself was helpless. He remembered that feeling of helplessness. He remembered standing on the hill with Lessa as she gave him the strength to draw his sword once more, and then he remembered the pain in his heart when she showed him the bitterness that had crept into her heart. He remembered the pride he had as a warrior, he remembered a young Calrex coming into his shop to buy potions, and returning to tell him how it had saved his life. He remembered being afraid to set out on his first adventure, and in the course of it meeting Oikawa and Ariel and others. He thought of all the fires that forged him, the broken path that had brought him to this day, but wouldn't let him give up. He took all of that emotion and he channeled it into his blade. He let the emotions run through his body, the river of his ki, as he united body, spirit, and blade.

"KIYAH!" Baldur cried out. It wasn't louder than before, but it was powerful. His whole body seemed ripple with energy, and purpose, and his eyes seemed to gain a determination and controlled fury. It wasn't a rage that Baldur focusing, it wasn't a fire wildly burning through him, it was controlled, tempered, focused. This time when he drew his blade high to strike, it was impossible to tell if Baldur was actually going to strike his friend or not, but the blade held where it had before. After a moment, Baldur returned to Zanshin for a moment then sheathed the blade once again in the same ritualistic manner he had before, only this time, when he made the throwing gesture, Calrex could see a change come over Baldur's energy, and he returned to the calm, relaxed man he was, as if the gesture had been him throwing away the emotions.

"That is the difference between Zen, Zanshin, and Kiai, and simply using the sword."

[Calrex 0]

Upon hearing Baldur's reference to the famous sci-fi series Calrex couldn't help but give a laugh. It was certainly interesting to see the man relate the movies to their current training, but he also knew that the sources for those aspects of the movies were taken from real life trainings and beliefs. After having the laugh, he kept a calm and open mindset as he listened to the samurai-themed player speak. From what he could confirm, Baldur had certainly received much more extensive training in the Japanese martial arts than he had. It only made sense, everything he had learned was from videos, books, and online forums about the different things he had learned.

"Ma'ai. I don't believe I've heard the term before, but I can gather from what you've said it's meaning. Everything in this world seems to move at a certain pace, or beat, and that beat can change. Learning and tuning one's actions to take advantage and move to the flow of that beat helps to give you that understanding of your opponent, as well as everything happening around you. Humans are inherently simple beings, desiring order over chaos. Even when we believe we are not being predictable, it may only be in that small moment within a long string of foreseeable actions."

Watching as the man demonstrated part of Zanshin Calrex felt him almost instinctively ready, as if to activate <<Parry>> to deflect the attacks. But as the blows flew around him he felt his body relax, understanding it was all part of the training. As Baldur rushed forward his eyes locked onto the movement and watched him fly past, turning to face his teacher once again.

As the man told him he was armed well with the blade he gave a small smirk and a nod, "Ki-Ken-Tai-Ichi? Heh, I think you're giving me too much credit Baldur. Most of my studies were on techniques and their execution, something that appears to be the only thing people want to learn about martial arts. They don't concern themselves with the ideas and philosophies behind martial arts, even if they may be important for understanding them. But you're right, that kind of mindset won't be enough. Even if I were to simply dump as much skill points as needed to be yours and Teayre's equal in katana usage, determining a battle by technique alone will merely result in a stalemate. Back when I spoke with her, I told her that I wasn't strong, and that no one in this world is objectively so. All that we possess over others is a form of advantage, which when stripped away renders them an equal. If I want to reach her, I need to make sure that my voice is strong and resolved enough to break through the fog that clouds her mind, and reach her spirit."

As he watched Baldur perform his kiai the bluenette felt a similar sensation to when he usually used his <<Howl>> technique. Even if the swordsman didn't possess the mechanic of the technique, he was sure that Baldur could draw the attention of any opponent with his spiritual presence with his kiai. The union of Zen, Zanshin, and the Kiai was a sight to behold, and Calrex felt honored to be learning such aspects. It was in some ways similar to how he thought. Any aspect on its own will only stand strong for so long. In the end, it was the sum of their parts, together in unison, combined into a single moment, that could change the entire tide of a battle. To him, in some ways it also represented that if he pooled everything within him into a single key moment, it could help to divert the dangerous path that he saw many heading down.

"I usually thought that focusing meant shutting out any emotions that would distract one from the job at hand, on the lines of the quote 'The one who thinks of living first, will be the one that loses the duel.' But the idea of channeling everything, my mind, body, spirit, and sword combined is powerful enough to change the course of events...is certainly one that I am more than open to learning."

The cold persona...it's helped to get me this far, but maybe as I thought, I need to accept everything about me, perceived good and bad, as they all make up who I am. "

Giving a smile and a nod he released a calming exhale, drawing the Oikawa Kanashiki once more. Even though he only saw Baldur's Zanshin stance once, he did his best to replicate the stance. Part of him was thinking about the openings the stance brought, as the lowered blade seemed to create an opening for his head, but he didnt let them cloud his mind. Instead he welcomed them in, but let those straying thoughts pass, aiming to focus on what was important. "What's important..."

He could recall all that he had been through in the game, the adventures he had shared with those who were also trapped. Teayre and Oikawa's first meeting with him, their first battles, his marriage with Teayre, the guilds he had been a part of. The people he had lost on the way. The many evolutions of his personality."

"Do you believe such trifles will make you stronger."

As he felt Achille's persona creep into his mind his closed eyes twitched for a second as he forced the presence back. It was still weak due to it only being Rank 2, but he had begun to accept that as long as he bore this skill, he would need to fight to keep his mind together and in control of his actions.

This realization, however, was not in time, as he felt some moment, whether fake or not, trigger as he opened his eyes. Focusing on the imaginary opponent in front of him he brought his blade down, his voice filled with power, albeit not as tempered as Baldur's own, "Kiyah!"

The Oikawa Kanashiki ripped through the air once again, seemingly ringing as it completed its attack. With another exhale the bluenette calmly sheathed it once again, gently releasing his sword hand from the handle. Relaxing his stance once again he gave a nod, "It looks like I might still require some practice before I get even moderately close to what you've obtained Baldur."

[Baldur 0]

Baldur smiled at his friend as he expressed that he might need some more practice. If he had been able to master it so quickly, Baldur would have been both proud and embarrassed. Proud to be perhaps the greatest martial arts teacher ever, and embarrassed at having to spend so many years mastering the technique himself. It didn't have anywhere near the power or effect it would in the real world, but that's because skills in SAO weren't things you learned, they were things you put points into. However, there were real 'skills' that could make a difference in combat that didn't have a statistical effect, and that is what he was trying to teach Calrex now.

"What you're referring to by clearing you mind is known as Mushin. 'No Mind' is the concept, or perhaps 'the void' as I've often heard it called before, and it has it's place. You don't want to be distracted. Your quote was right, you can't let your mind be fettered by transcendental things. Mushin, however, does not mean that you don't channel, or temper that was a good phrasing, your emotions. You cannot be controlled by anger, or worry, or fear, or thought about living or dying. You must strive for Fudoshin - the... " Baldur tapped his lips with a finger for a moment as he tried to find the right word.

"Unwavering... oneness..." Baldur said the words, but then immediately made a face that said he felt that came out wrong.

"We talk about being one with ourselves. Mind, body, spirit. Fudoshin is having your mind, body, and spirit aligned, and then forging that warrior's soul. Once you have achieved Fudoshin, then you won't be baited, insults won't hurt you, you won't be pulled from your task by distractions. This is why meditation is so important, as is learning and philosophy, but unfortunately, we don't have time to become warrior monks." Baldur chuckled and smiled at his friend.

"So for utility's sake, we'll go for the abridged version. Your sword - " Baldur tapped the blade that Cal had recovered, the first one he had made for Teayre, " - represent the change you wish to bring about in the world, or in this case the woman you love. Now, if this were a real blade, it would be folded over and over again to reach the perfect balance of carbon in the metal. The great smiths could see this by the glow of the blade when it was heated. The crucible in which we are forged."

He hoped he wasn't losing Cal with all of these metaphors.

"So close your eyes and imagine this blade being forged. You have a great fire of passion inside of you, and all of that needs to be tempered into the warrior you will become. You must will this world into existence, but to do that you must have a clear focus of what and how you will do that. Not the goal, the process. Folding as a process was created because Japan had shitty metal, and yet they made weapons of amazing beauty and power. So we start with who you are now, and the situation you find yourself in."

Baldur gave a slit smirk at the comparison.

"Next, we take your emotion, your passion, and we feed the fire to heat the metal. You must acknowledge the good times and the bad in order to be complete. The Yin and the Yang. Remember the good times, remember who she was before, what you were together, and the steps that led to where you and she are now. Let that emotion rise up inside of you and ignite your spirit. Let that fire - that desire to change the world - be crucible."

Carefully, he watched his friend's face.

"Now we forge, we refine, we focus that anger and that passion into something we can use it. We temper passion with logic, philosophy and practice. Imagine your duel with her, not just the physical fight, but the verbal and emotional one. Let the confrontation take life in your mind so that can be prepared with how to deal with it, but don't let it dampen the fire of your spirit. A smith will pull the blade out, beat on it, then stick it back into the fire to heat it back up, and so you must do."

Again, the wanna-be gaijin samurai watched his friend, but this time his steel blue eyes softened. It was not an easy path he was instructing his friend to walk.

"You must temper your resolve until it is unbreakable. You want to rule it, not be ruled by it. You want to channel your emotions and passions into controlled action. When your spirit is forged into your blade this way, then you will have unwavering oneness - Fudoshin."

[Calrex 0]

Calrex listened attentively once again as Baldur spoke, giving a chuckle at the man's potentially failed translation of the term he was going for, "Yeah, I think the translation was a little bit off on that one. But from what you've described it as, I can understand what you mean. I think I might have heard the term before, I believe it was equanimity. Unwavering resolve, a steeled mind, psychological stability and composure, unmoving heart, they're all similes to the word. Aligning the entirety of yourself to your perceived purpose is certainly a formidable act. Just like in reality, a task can be more easily overcome when more than one muscle is being used in unison."

He gave a nod as he centered himself, "There is an old saying for practitioners of tai chi and the Chinese martial arts, that four ounces of force can move a thousand pounds. Minimal effort for tremendous results. I also see it as another interpretation, that no opposing force needs to be met with an equally opposing level of strength. Whatever philosophy or delusion she has convinced, outside being or otherwise, to take as truth doesn't need to be met with brute force. The idea of Fudoshin, and the immovable heart, combined with the practice of aligning the mind, body, and spirit, may just be the four ounces I need to see this through."

He closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing as he felt the tension in his shoulders relax. Calrex was going to try again, attempting to reach the point that his teammate and teacher had shown him. He already knew it was not something he would be able to reach in a matter of hours or days. It was something he would constantly need to home and refine, just as Baldur had mentioned with forging a sword in the crucible. His self, his mind, his spirit. They needed to be tempered, hardened, cooled, and forged again many times over before he could even become close to the ideal self he wanted to become. There was no time for him to reach Teayre if he focused completely on that first, so he would need to get as close as he could.

"Let the emotions and memories flow through me, but don't let them dictate my actions. They are a part of me, and a part of who I've become, but they are not everything there is to Calnus Hevrex. I'm much more than that. Everything I am, focus it..."

All of the times of joy, sadness, frustration, rage, disappointment, passion, despair. Everything that he had experienced both in SAO and outside welled up in him as his eyelids twitched with each passing moment. With the Oikawa Kanashiki in hand he assumed the stance from before, the sword point aimed diagonally towards the ground with the bladed edge facing towards the sky.

He could recall the words he last shared with Teayre, her expressions of sadness, and the sides of her that he felt in his heart was not the person he loved, but the creation of a mad man with a sick dream. In his mind he saw her, clad in her battle gear with the Muramasa at the ready, as if poised to battle. The back and forth exchange of words, of what she thought their reality was, echoed in his mind. But he remained unmoved. With every sentence fired at him it almost felt like it was bouncing off a mental wall he had set up. Only a single thought was in his mind, one that was uttered without exclamation, yet carried the volume and resonance of a sonic boom.

"I will save you."

At the moment he heard his mind speak his eyes opened as almost on instinct he brought the sword upwards, the blade shining in the reflection of the sun. The weapon felt heavy, yet his body remained poised and in control. The weight he felt wasn't physical, like the weapon itself was more than he could handle. It carried a moral weight, as if to remind him of the truth of its purpose, and that every slice, every blow that it was used for would carry a burden. Bringing it downwards he felt a roar erupt from his abdomen as his lungs seemed to empty all of its air, his stomach shrinking to help propel the sound, "KIYAAH!"

The sword cut downwards, cutting through the air, but to the bluenette the path it carved felt different. Rather than feeling the edge bite and drag itself through, the pressure around it seemed nonexistent, as if the wind merely parted out of its path. Much like the legend of the Masamune, the wind seemed to run around the Oikawa Kanashiki like the leaves in the river.

What he wasn't expecting, however, was the excess momentum as he completed the movement. The speedy descent of the sword did not prepare him for the lack of ability to stop. Feeling it come out of position and drop further than a 90 degree angle his eyes widened as he felt his body get pulled forward, almost falling onto the ground as he caught himself, "Ok...I was not expecting that, heh." 

[Baldur 0]

Baldur, with a sad expression on his face, used the tip of his sword to lift Calrex's sword back up to the ready position. He was proud of his kouhei. He had been wrong a moment ago in thinking he was an amazing teacher, Calrex was just an amazing student. He was dedicated, he had a good foundation to build on, and he had seen more of this castle than anyone else, all the while remaining humble. It was an incredible spirit that resided in his student, and so he loathed the idea of hurting it.

"Now here is the final fight you must struggle with. Remember what we said before, for all your power Calrex the Ultramarine Knight, you cannot save someone who does not want to be saved."

It was a lesson Baldur had struggled with his entire life. He hated having to learn that lesson; it broke his heart to learn that lesson the hard way.

"Teayre must want to be saved, in order for your fight to mean anything. Show her your spirit, show her your hard work, your determination, make her believe your words."

Baldur took position next to his friend and kouhei facing the same direction as if they fought a pair of imaginary foes.

"Once you have tempered your spirit with Fudoshin, then the presence of mind of Mushin, of 'no mind' will make more sense. Your mind, body, and spirit have been tempered and honed for your purpose, so that other distractions won't effect you. The flame and the void. Clear your mind and imagine the flame. All those worries, all those hopes, those feed the fire you use to forge your determination, the steel of your soul. As those distractions feed the fire, you are left with a clear, unfettered mind."

Baldur stoked his own fire and he closed his steel blue eyes. He fed the fire all of his concerns and insecurities, his hopes, and his pride. What was left was focus. He saw himself standing in a field of pitch black nothing. Slowly, he opened his senses, one by one and his mental image coalesced into where he was standing now as he opened his eyes and the picture in his head matched what his eyes saw.

It worked differently in this world. The system did a decent job of recreating the senses, and the brain mostly filled in the difference. If your brain was given most of the input that said it was raining, your mind would  kind of... fill in the missing information. The nerve gear worked by stimulating your brain in a specific way to cause your brain to believe certain things, that's how they could make a VR world that included taste.

But there were some things that were still lacking. Those unknowable senses that martial artists developed. He had done his best to emulate them in this world, but you could never got completely there.

"Now then, let your instinct guide you, much as the force. You've been in plenty of fights, your ability to read people will be no less valid with a different sword in your hand. Some fights are a game of chess, and some fights are a scramble to stay alive.Your survival instinct can give you an edge in certain situations, but an equally skilled swordsman, or swordswoman, can read this and use it against you as well. That is why we feed this to the fire. You gain the edge of your survival instinct, but you remain in control, you become more dangerous because they can't read you as well."

There was very little in this game in the way of tell tale muscle switches, but the general mantra of watching the body instead of the blade still helped.

"Remember to stay grounded, both spiritually and physically."

Baldur took a step that was a halfmoon in path, and as he stepped he struck with a firm "Kiyah!"

Then another step, "Kiyah!"

And another, "Kiyah!"

[Calrex 0]

As Calrex gave a calming breath he heard Baldur's words ring true to him. He felt his heart pulse for a second, as it echoed throughout him. He already knew what the man said, and it was something he had already conveyed to Teayre when they were last together. She asked him to help her conquer the feelings inside her, but he had always been proven time and time again that words are merely words without action. Unless a person actually is seeking to be helped, to be saved, then no amount of assistance will bring them any closer. "Yeah, I'm already aware of that Baldur. I've prepared myself for the fact there is the chance, no matter how prominent or slight it may be, that Teayre may not want to be saved, that the person that I knew and fell in love with is now a mere distant memory. I guess you can say I can think a little too much and contemplate all of the possible 'routes' a choice or interaction can go."

Adjusting his stance he fixed his grip after the previous stumble. Even though he didn't nail the"landing" of his previous swing, the sensation was now instilled in him. The feeling of moral weight, yet the effortlessness of manipulating the blade. It was something he had not experienced before, and made many things that he had seen depicted in the past through movies, games, and the like make much more sense. "However, I know for sure that if I don't try to reach out to her with everything I can, then I will most certainly fail. So even if in the end my pleas fall into the void of her mind, at least I can continue on with the thought that I gave it my all before letting her slip away."

The thought of losing his wife to her own thought made the feeling of heartbreak and loss, something he was familiar with, return as it felt like his heart wanted to rip itself apart. But he held himself together with a calming breath, letting the feeling subside. With his own resolution over he listened attentively to his teacher's next explanation about the mindset, and about feeling the fire.

The part he recognized was about survival instinct. It was something that was strangely at the heart, and at the same time foreign, to martial arts. To a regular person, survival instinct meant abandoning formal training, relying solely on muscle memory and your senses. It could be considered primal and animalistic, something that martial arts tended to not be as much about. At the same time, martial arts was made to in some ways reprogram that response, so that even though you were acting without thinking, the movements came naturally. Just like in every fight, the encounter was about reading your opponent's actions, leading them, and baiting them with your own. It was an exchange, but unlike a spoken one, not always did both participants walk away.

As Baldur formed his trio of strikes Calrex gave a nod, closing his own eyes as he felt himself return back to the dark visualization plane of his mind. This time his wife was not his opponent, but a mere shade. He focused on visualizing the fire that the samurai-themed swordsman spoke of, the feeling of warmth in his mind. Every emotion that went through him, every thought, he felt himself adding to the flame before he slowly opened his eyes. He felt the calm power and the state of ease he had felt only moments before. As he brought his blade forward he copied Baldur's movements, his blade tracing through the air without effort. Just like with his previous slash the wind seemed to simply part out of the way, the only thing that seemed to be present in his strikes being the moral burden of the blade. "Hiyah! Kiyah! Kiyah!"

[Baldur 0]

Baldur nodded as his pupil followed in his footsteps, centering himself before striking out on his own. He seemed more composed, more controlled than he had a moment ago. Baldur was pleased that Calrex had already considered that his wife may not want to be saved. It was a tough situation to cope with. One that while Calrex had considered, Baldur could tell still weighed heavily upon his friend. It was not going to be an easy fight, but he would arm his friend the best he could.

"I have armed you for the fight, now let me do my best to teach you how to move past it."

Baldur struck with his blade, then stepped into the Zanshin pose that he had shown earlier. He lingered in the position a moment, over-emphasising it for the sake of his friend as he pretended to look around for more foes. It was not at all how he would do it, but it was the communication of the act that he was after, not the actual technique itself.

Once he had performed the stance of Zanshin, Baldur brought the blade around and without looking guiding the sword into its saya. He seemed to know exactly where to place the blade, and his movements were completely smooth and obviously practiced to perfection. Literally, practiced to perfection.

"When only an inch of the blade was left, Baldur brought the saya and the tsuba, as well as both his feet together with the click. Then he was left in a natural standing pose, but with his hand still holding the sword. Again, there seemed to be a moment of struggle almost as if Baldur didn't want to let go of the sword, but as his hand trailed the handle to the end, he made a gesture. It wasn't quite so pronounced as throwing something away, but the message was clear that's what he was doing.

"Putting the blade away is called the noto. It's not just putting the blade away like video games would show you so that you can do another iai strike because that's your technique. That'd just be silly video game logic. But the gesture there at the end." Once more Baldur imitated the lingering of his hand on the blade, and then throwing something away.

"It represents the adrenaline of battle. The fire in your spirit. The bloodlust. And then mastering yourself. Channeling it all into the blade, and then forcing it all out of you, and casting the negative energy away. It is the return to yourself. We are not soldiers my friend, though it may feel we live those lives. Who we are is not defined by that, and we must remember not to dwell on it all the time either. You must be able to separate, to partition, to focus that energy away, or else you chi will become unbalanced. You will burn out from the heat of your own fire. So when we are done, we cast away those thoughts and that energy, and we return to who we are. You don't forget it, never do that, but don't let it loom. Don't dwell unnecessarily. Hold Zanshin longer if you need to gather yourself, but leave those feelings on the battlefield. Then, when you have time to meditate, you can unpack those thoughts and deal with them in a constructive manner." 

[Calrex 0]

As he watched Baldur perform the final act, resheathing his sword, Calrex's eyes widened, almost as if something had clicked in his mind. Shaking his head he gave a small laugh to himself before nodding, "Honestly Baldur...when you spoke about what is entailed in the act of noto, it was as if things seemed to line up in my mind, and potentially about what's happening with Teayre."

As he assumed the stance for performing the act he continued to speak, "You are right, we aren't soldiers. At best we are a bunch of gamers that have been forced to take SAO too seriously. Even soldiers don't stay on the battlefield. Samurai, knights, armymen, all of them eventually lay down their arms and return back home to their loved ones. Even in science itself there is one true fact: An object will always want to remain at rest. It is the purpose for sleeping, for eating, and for exhaustion. We, as humans, are inherently incapable of performing at our maximum 24/7, and even if we could the systems needed to maintain that would not be able to do so for very long. We operate in bursts, peaks and valleys. Even in martial arts, after performing a pattern, the practitioner will always return back to center, to a ending stance before giving his respects. I feel...that maybe that's is part of what's been affecting Teayre. Ever since she was young, she's always had to be in survival mode just to get by. She's always had to protect herself, from her father, and from those around her. She may have found some respite when she found me, but just like a habit, it is hard to break something that has been a consistent pattern for so long, especially if it has been what's kept you alive."

Assuming Zanshin the light from the sun reflected against the face of the Oikawa Kanashiki once again, letting his free hand slide up to the mouth of the sheath. Letting the back of the blade glide across the gap between his thumb and pointer he moved it until the tip fell into the mouth of the scabbard before carefully sliding the blade in, pushing both of his hands together while at the same time sliding his feet into a squared position, hearing the blade lock engage. He could still feel the sense of heightened awareness within him, the moral weight of the blade. With a calming breath he let his emotions subside, returning back to the depths of his mind. At the same time his hand slid down the handle of the katana, coming off the end as he opened his sword hand, as if letting whatever imaginary contents within fall away.

He felt his mind come back to center as he faced his teacher, "If I can word this correctly, Teayre is like a person who has never learned noto. They only know the techniques and the philosophies behind manipulating the blade. But she never learned to come back to center, to let the rush of emotions subside, to calm the fire inside. I think that may also be why things have come to the point they have now, and the voice that belongs to the Muramasa may be taking advantage of that fact."

Memories of the past few interactions he's had with her continued to add to his theory, "Even when she has the sword in its sheath, I've noticed that her finger is always tapping on the handle, like a rhythm. It is almost as if she's always expecting a battle to take place, even in the most calm of interactions. Her upbringing, the environment she was raised in, the world we've all been trapped in, the unique skill's influence. They're all things that stack up on each other to exacerbate what's been happening."

"If there is still a chance of saving her, I need to strike at the heart, not at the symptoms. Her player kills, the lashing out, the 'darker side' of her. There are all only glances at what is the origin of the issue. She never learned to let herself lower her defenses fully, to come back to a calm state."

Putting a hand behind his head he gave a small sigh and a laugh, "I'm sorry Baldur, I guess my mind got wrapped around the idea for a bit."

[Baldur 0]

It felt good to hear his friend finally be able to laugh. They had been going some very heavy, deep stuff in their training, especially when you considered he was going into lethal combat with his wife. The difference was, this time something seemed to have clicked for his kouhei, and with that a blanket of relief settled over Baldur and washed some of the stress he had been feeling away.

"Good, no, this is good. I am glad something clicked that will help you."

Baldur offered his friend a smile. This had been part of the outcome he had hoped for, but worried that it might have taken more time to get there than his friend had. There was all sorts of metaphysical philosophy to go through, as well as how to wage war spiritually as well as physically, but it seemed they didn't need to do that now. Good, because if we had to go the whole way, it could take years to convey everything. It had certainly taken him years to learn all of these lessons and to aggregate all of his wisdom. He was glad that he could pass it on so easily to his friend. Though that's more because we're already so like-minded.

"That makes a lot of sense though. If she doesn't know how to sheath the sword, then her nerves have been on edge this entire time. She hasn't had a chance to rest and recharge."

Baldur still wasn't sure what to make of the idea that unique weapons and skills were messing with the minds of their owners, but the possibility was certainly there. The idea that kayaba could be messing with their minds gave him a cold sweat. It was a sacred place, and messing with that could completely change the game, especially since you could potentially never notice the difference.

"Worse case scenario, you may have to convince her to give up her unique. Battojutsu is for the paranoid. It is a style that means you are ready to be attacked in any situation. I once learned a kata for iai that was based around someone trying to kill me at tea. So it could follow that he no longer has an 'off' switch, as it were."

Baldur whiped his sword around and sheathed it in a new and fancier way, holding the blade in a reverse grip that didn't seem like it would work for a noto until it did.

"What's your next step gonna be?"

[Calrex 0]

Calrex gave a nod as he put his hands into his jacket pockets. There was that possibility, but before he could come to that conclusion he would have to consider other factors, "Asking her to give up Battojutsu is certainly an option, but I think before I go and request that I would need to figure out exactly why she went after it in the first place. I know she told me before it was because she needed it to keep up with me, and while back then it made sense, in some ways it doesn't. If she wanted to keep up, should could have also gone through the levels like I did. There's got to be more to it than simply trying to be my equal. Of course, back then I don't think anyone knew about the psychological effects of the unique skills."

Watching at his teacher twirled his katana into a reverse grip and resheathed it, "I think I remember seeing that done in the Korean interpretation of the Japanese martial arts, called Gumdo I believe. Of course I remember that their had a lot more of the twirls and flairs. Watching those was like watching a Hollywood martial arts film."

Glancing upwards Calrex saw that Roc was still up above, keeping watch, "As for what's next...I think I've got to take care of some things within myself before I proceed. As you well know, all of the unique skills, my own included, seem to have a mind of their own. I can't well go and give up Achilles, as it will only serve to torture the mind of the next bearer. Plus, sadly, I can't simply forego putting ranks into it, because then I wouldn't be using it to its full potential. As you said before, I need to control my emotions, not let them control me. I need to bring Achilles' influence under control. If I'm going to give this my all, I need to do so with the whole of my being, without it trying to butt in and take over."

Gently releasing his free hand from the saya of the Oikawa Kanashiki he gave a nod, "I think I'll need to show to Achilles that the excessive amount of confidence it prides itself on inflicting upon me is not needed, and I believe that with all of this training I might be able to start forcing it back. I've been able to keep it at bay so far, but I need to drive it away for good."

[Baldur 0]

Baldur nodded solemnly and listened as his friend recounted the inner struggles he must face before he is capable of taking on his wife. It was a logical step, and one guided by self awareness. Baldur lived by the idea of removing excuses from the equation, and to do that, he had to fix his own house before he could take on another's.

"That's wise of you. You must face your own inner demons before you can attempt to have the high ground with Teayre facing hers."

Calrex would see Baldur had developed a habit of tapping the handle of his katana as he was deep in thought.

"Normally I would recommend philosophy, meditation and travel to expand one's mind, but I am not a teacher, and we're sort of trapped here." He gave a half hearted chuckle. "So I'm afraid that really leaves you only meditation and self-reflection, however those are great weapons against pride."

Secretly, Baldur worried about his friend in more ways than one. He wasn't certain there were other personalities in his mind. It would not be uncommon for someone who had seen what they had, let alone as much as Calrex had. But the far more frightening reality was if he were correct and Kayaba were messing with these player's threads. Baldur had always enjoyed the idea of unique skills, especially when he found out one of them was his beloved battoujutsu, until he found out it was currently held by Teayre. Would he be in similar shoes as she was if he had gotten the skill? Baldur would never know, and he couldn't say he was sorry for that fact. The mind was sacrosanct and he was loathe to bait anything to attack him here.

"Come my friend, let us talk now of lighter things. Let us sheath our blades and remember what it is we are fighting for. I shall not ask for specifics, but tell me, did you have a big family in the outside world?"

[Calrex 0]

As his teammate's behest Calrex gave a nod as he resheathed the Oikawa Kanashiki, swiping on his menu to send the katana back to his inventory, swapping it out once again for the Grand Blade II. Since their training was over for the moment, he figured it would be a better idea to have his best equipment at the ready just in case things decide to take a turn for the worse. "My family? Heh, not many people ask about real world background."

It was true. One of the topics that seemed to be never discussed, even amongst the closest of teammates, was their lives back in the real world. He could only guess that people still preferred to keep that information private, just in case they did happen to survive SAO, that they wouldn't be pursued by any unwanted individuals. However, he didn't think Baldur to be such a person, especially if the man believed and practiced the ideals that he conveyed to the Ultramarine Knight.

"Oikawa and Teayre are two of the closes individuals I know, and I haven't talked to them at all about it. Maybe I should get around to fixing that..."

Giving a friendly smirk the bluenette gave a nod, "Well, I guess it would really depend on what you mean by big. I don't have any siblings, so I had my mother and father's eyes on me at all times, heh. I've certainly got a decent amount of relatives on both sides, more people than I can place names to faces."

Putting his hands into his jacket pockets, "How about you Baldur? Are you from a large family?"

[Baldur 0]

Baldur smiled as his friends seemed to take a moment before finally starting to open up about family. He had always taken Calrex for someone who had grown up with brothers, though he couldn't say why he felt that way. Perhaps it was just that need for family, and the realization that he had come to think of Cal as a bit of a younger brother as well.

"Huge." Baldur said with a smile. It was both true and false at the same time... just one of many contradictions that made up his life.

"In fact, it's so huge, I'm not sure which ones I'm related to or not. Many of the people I was raised calling Aunt and Uncle aren't related by blood, but I have many blood cousins I don't really know well either. Then there's the family I chose... tons of them... and both my parents remarried, so I have a whole 'nother matrix of aunts and uncles and cousins... I've been living in Japan for so long though, that it's been ages since I have seen any of them..." Baldur trailed off with a distant look in his steel blue eyes.

They had been stuck here in SAO for almost 3 years now, before that he and Tyger had already been living in Japan for several years, his job having brought them there through an opportunity they couldn't pass up. What the future would bring when they got... no one knew, but he could only imagine the grief of his family losing him in this way after already being so far away, and the timezone was though enough as it was.

"Family events were always fun because you could lose yourself in them. You could be surrounded by family and alone at the same time - it was perfect for an introvert like me."

He flashed a playful smile at Calrex, "So you had one of those famous helicopter parents, eh?"

[Calrex 0]

Calrex gave a laugh as he understood what Baldur meant. There was a term he had learned for a person that was close enough to be a relative, even though they were not related by blood. Calabash, so an example would be his best friend being a calabash brother to himself, "Heh, I know exactly what you mean. The fact that both your parents remarried must have multiplied your relatives exponentially. I don't think I would even bother with names at that point."

Leaning against a nearby wall the bluenette kept his friendly smile, "Helicopter parents might be a little too strong of a definition. I think it was literally just because they didn't have any other children to direct attention to, so I got all of it. They did give me the freedom to make my own decisions about schooling and such, but the one tradeoff was that I ended up having to listen to every single bit of advice they gave, heh. They wanted me to make sure to learn from their mistakes, although some of them were probably not exactly the correct lesson to gleam from."

Looking back over he gave a nod, "In any case, my upbringing wasn't exactly unique or special compared to anyone else."

[Baldur 0]

"I dunno." Baldur said with a smile to his friend. "Sometimes I think normal is what's truely rare. I would say the same thing about my life, and it seemed everyone I met in college had some crazy story or background, some incredible adversity they overcame to get where they were." Baldur gestured to the world around.

"We are going to be some of the most extraordinary people this world has ever seen. When we come out of this alive, we will be heroes, and on every talk show you can imagine. I'm certainly not saying the celebrity is a reward, but we are certainly living in an extraordinary life right now. So while others may have come before, we're certainly not slacking in the interesting life category... in fact, I could do with a slightly less interesting life."

Baldur winked at his friend and then headed forward.

"Just remember my friend, either we are forged by the world, or the world is forged by us."