Sora had debated letting the kids come with him this morning- but had suggested they play with their puppies instead.

He had a feeling things would be coming unglued soon, and much as he preferred to fight with a naginata... his sword was far more likely to be with him.

So today, that was what he practiced with.

His technique was solid. Nothing too spectacular, although he adjusted rapidly.

He had never had any patience for all of the blithering about the grace and beauty of swordsmanship.

A sword was a tool for turning people into corpses. And Sora used his accordingly.

In a fight, you get no points for style.

And this dueling idiocy the Crane are so keen on?

Might well sum up everything that's wrong with them. You take a simple, brutal act, cutting someone with a purpose-built killing tool, and you layer it with meaning that you fucking made up to try to make it mean more than it really does.

His routine continued. Anyone watching would note that Sora didn't really use any formal steps or stances- he just applied the lessons of a brutal childhood and youth among the Hikaru to the use of a blade. To call it a fighting style would be to imply more concerted method than was actually present.

Drawing a blade on someone and claiming you're not out to kill them? How ridiculous.