CHAPTER 51: CHAPTER 10.1: I NEED TO—POWER UP! PART 2

"Fascinating. Your muscle memory is eager to reemerge. Shall we speed things up?"

Before Jin could answer, the lights in the training room dimmed, and his HUD erupted with new data.

[PHOENIX CORE // COMBAT INTERFACE - ONLINE]

User: Jin | Sync Rate: 47%

Neural Feedback: ACTIVE

[SIMULATION MODULE - INITIATED]

Training Mode: SURVIVAL

Threat Level: ADAPTIVE

Simulation Type: Neuro-Haptic

Objective: LAST AS LONG AS POSSIBLE

[WARNING]

• Neural Feedback Loop Engaged

• Pain Dampening: 32%

• Injury Risk: Simulated (Neuromuscular Reflex Pathways)

[VISUAL FEED - THREAT SIGNATURE ACQUIRED]

Target: CRAWLER (Simulated)

Classification: Type-B Infected

Behavior: Aggressive / Unpredictable

Note: Motion, audio, and olfactory stimuli engaged

"Asha, what are you—"

A red outline materialized in front of him—a holographic Crawler, moving with that distinctive inhuman gait. It wasn’t real, but his Phoenix Core made it feel real. The way it moved, the sound of its breathing, even the smell of decay seemed to fill the room.

The simulated Crawler lunged.

Jin’s body moved before his mind caught up. The wooden staff whipped up in a diagonal arc, deflecting the attack. His feet shifted, maintaining perfect balance as he pivoted away from the follow-up strike.

A quiet yet firm voice echoed in his mind, warning him,

*"That’s not the approach you should take."* It urged him to shift his perspective.

*"You’re missing the point,"* it clarified.

*"Tsurugi don’t just deflect; they redirect attacks."*

[RECOMMENDED ACTION]:

— Maintain rhythm. Let the body remember.

— Disable limbs first. Survive the pattern.

The next attack came faster. This time, Jin didn’t just block. He guided the Crawler’s momentum past him, using its own force against it. The movement felt hauntingly familiar, like remembering how to breathe.

Asha reported, "I’m detecting a remarkable surge in neural activity at this moment. It seems you’re tapping into those rather lazy pathways in the motor cortex that have been napping for quite a while."

NEURAL SPIKE DETECTED

Accessing Dormant Motor Cortex...

Ancestral Memory Sync (Tsurugi Kata): CALIBRATING...

INSTINCTIVE RESPONSE: ENABLED

- Exploit anatomical weak points: joints / neck / spine

[CLOSE-QUARTERS ALERT]

– Hostiles Detected: 3

– Position: Encircling

– Weapon: Bō Staff (Wooden)

– Proficiency: 64% (TEMPORARY MEMORY OVERRIDE)

[STATUS]

Heart Rate: 138 BPM

Neural Load: 72%

Adrenal Response: STABLE

Motor Control: ENHANCED

More red outlines appeared—two, then three Crawlers circling him. Jin’s breathing steadied as he fell into a rhythm that wasn’t quite his own. The wooden staff became an extension of his will.

The words echoed from somewhere deep, spoken in a woman’s voice that made his chest tighten with forgotten grief.

"Mother?" he whispered, nearly missing a block.

The simulation Crawler’s claw grazed his shoulder—not real damage, but the neural feedback made him hiss in pain. Focus shattered, the elegant movements devolved back into desperate swings.

"Emotional spike detected. Memory fragment attempting integration," Asha noted. "This may be uncomfortable."

[NEURAL INTERFERENCE DETECTED]

Emotional Spike: Critical

Memory Fragmentation: 12% → 26% Integration

WARNING: Deep emotional resonance detected

[MEMORY FRAGMENT INTEGRATION – IN PROGRESS]

Source: Reika Tsurugi – Maternal Figure

Classification: Combat Doctrine / Emotional Anchor

Time Index: Age 8 – Fifteen Years Pre-Collapse

[VISUAL RECONSTRUCTION ENGAGED]

Location: Tsurugi Estate Dojo – Private Training Hall, Kyoto

---

The world surrounding him began to disintegrate and then transformed anew. The cold metal of the Vault evaporated like morning mist under the sun, revealing the comforting feel of hinoki cypress wood beneath his feet. Golden beams of sunlight poured through elegant shoji screens, casting delicate designs onto the polished floors, which had withstood centuries of martial arts practice.

Jin—no, here he was just little Jin, barely eight years old—stood at the center of the family dojo. A wooden bokken, far too large for his small hands, dragged along the ground. His arms trembled with exhaustion, beads of sweat tracing down his forehead, but he clung to the weapon with determination.

"Once more, Jin-chan."

The voice was soft and soothing, yet imbued with authority. Reika Tsurugi stood before him, her own bokken held at the ready in a perfect posture. Dressed in simple white gi, her long black hair was styled traditionally, but it was her eyes that held him captive—deep and fierce, yet radiating a warmth that made his heart ache with longing.

"Mother, I’m so tired," young Jin pleaded, his innocent voice high and quivering. "Can we have a break? My arms really hurt."

In his words, Reika’s expression softened. She lowered her bokken and knelt to meet his eyes, her weathered hands—hands skilled in both the sword and the nurturing craft of motherhood—gently cupping his flushed cheeks.

"Jin-chan," she murmured softly, brushing away a tear he hadn’t realized had slipped down his cheek, "do you know why our family has dedicated itself to the art of the sword for twenty-seven generations?"

He shook his head, bottom lip trembling.

"Come here," she said, drawing him onto her lap and setting aside their weapons. The stern instructor melted away, revealing only his mother, who smelled of jasmine.

"Once upon a time," she began, her voice adopting the rhythm of a timeless tale, "the first Tsurugi was simply a farmer. When bandits descended upon his village, he had nothing but a humble blade and an unyielding determination to shield his family. He wasn’t the mightiest or the swiftest, but he would not allow his loved ones to suffer."

Young Jin nestled closer into her comforting embrace. "Did he succeed?"

"He kept his loved ones safe," she replied, planting a gentle kiss on his forehead. "That farmer transformed into a samurai, and his lineage has upheld that same vow for centuries. Not a vow to be the strongest, Jin-chan, but a vow to always stand by those we protect.

She stood, lifting him effortlessly, and carried him to the dojo’s altar where ancestral swords rested. "Each blade here represents someone who chose love over fear, protection over power."

Setting him down, she retrieved two items: his small bokken and something wrapped in silk. "I was going to wait until you were older, but..." Her voice caught, just for a moment. "I want you to have this now."

She unwrapped a child-sized shinai, perfectly balanced for his hands. The bamboo was pristine, bound with a black and gold cord—the Tsurugi colors.

"This was mine when I was your age," she said, kneeling again. "My mother gave it to me the day she started teaching me not just to fight, but why we fight."

Jin’s small hands wrapped around the grip, and suddenly it didn’t feel too heavy at all.

"Now," Reika said, moving behind him, her hands covering his on the shinai. "Let me show you the first truth of Tsurugi Shinto Ryu. Close your eyes."

He obeyed, feeling her warmth at his back, her steady breathing guiding his own.

"The sword is not in your hands," she whispered. "It’s in your heart. The techniques, the forms—they’re just ways to express what’s already inside you. Your desire to protect. Your refusal to yield when love is threatened. Feel it, Jin-chan. Feel why you hold this sword."

Together, they moved through the basic kata, her strength guiding his small body through motions that would one day become as natural as breathing. But it wasn’t the techniques he would remember most vividly.

It was after, when they sat together on the engawa overlooking the garden, sharing cold barley tea. The way she pulled him close, as if trying to memorize the moment.

"Mother?" he asked, noticing the distant look in her eyes. "Why are you sad?"

Reika’s arms tightened around him. "I’m not sad, my little warrior. I’m just... I’m so proud of who you’re going to become."

"Will you always teach me?"

A pause. Too long. "I’ll teach you everything I can, for as long as I can."

"Promise?"

She rose to her feet, effortlessly lifting him and carrying him to the dojo’s altar adorned with ancestral swords. "Every blade in this place symbolizes an individual who prioritized standing by their loved ones over yielding fear, opting to shield them rather than pursue power.."

Once she gently set him down, she picked up two items: his small bokken and something swathed in silk. "I was going to wait until you were older to give this to you, but..." Her voice faltered for a brief moment. "I believe you’re ready for it now."

Carefully, she unveiled a child-sized shinai, flawlessly balanced for his little hands. The bamboo is gleamed, elegantly tied with a black and gold cord—the colors of Tsurugi.

"This shinai was mine at your age," she said, kneeling once more. "Your grandmother presented it to me on the day she started teaching me the sword, showing me how to defend myself and explaining why I use force only as a last resort.."

Jin’s small hands wrapped around the shinai, and it felt much lighter all of a sudden.

"Now," Reika said, positioning herself behind him and placing her hands over his on the shinai. "I’ll show you the first rule of Tsurugi Shinto Ryu. Close your eyes."

He obeyed, sensing her warmth against his back while her rhythm helped align his breathing.

"The sword isn’t only in your hands," she whispered softly. "It resides in your heart as well. The techniques and forms are merely ways to express the power that already exists within you: your desire to protect, your resolve to stand firm when love is at stake. Embrace this, Jin-chan. Understand the reason for holding this sword."

Together, they practiced the fundamental kata, her strength guiding his small frame through movements that would one day feel instinctual. Yet, it was not the techniques that lingered in his memory.

Later, as they sat side by side on the engawa overlooking the garden, sipping cold barley tea, he noticed how she pulled him close, as if she wished to freeze that moment forever.

"Mom?" he asked, noticing her distant expression. "Why do you seem sad?"

Reika tightened her embrace. "I’m not sad, my little warrior. I am just... incredibly proud of who you are destined to become."

"Will you always teach me?"

A pause hung between them, stretching out a bit too long. "I’ll teach you everything I can with you, for as long as I’m able."

"Promise?"

She turned him to face her, and he saw tears glimmering in her eyes. "Jin-chan, pay attention. There might come a time when I can’t guide your sword. But I will always—always—be in your heart, steering your spirit. The Tsurugi way isn’t solely about the blade; it’s about standing tall when others falter and protecting when others flee."

---

[MEMORY INTEGRATION COMPLETE]