Chapter Text
There is absolutely no chance this isn’t going to be bizarre, awkward, or both. From the moment Byleth met Yusuke, she could tell he marched to the beat of his own drum, but there’s no telling what that means for training him in the art of swordplay.
“I’m going to be honest with you, Kitagawa-san.” Byleth is standing up as straight as possible, with the pommel of a wooden practice katana underneath her palms, its tip pointing directly into the ground. “I have no knowledge whatsoever about proper Eastern sword techniques. Just because I can read about them does not make me qualified to teach them to you. I could read about them for years, but unless I pick up a katana myself, it won’t be of any use.”
Byleth worried it may be difficult to sneak Yusuke into the Shujin Academy gymnasium, but it turns out that a person of student age wearing a school gym uniform and being escorted confidently by school staff is enough for nobody to stop and ask questions. After all, she’s been down that road before.
Yusuke himself is twirling his practice sword, eyes tracing its path through the air. A few seconds drip by, and Byleth worries that he wasn’t listening at all. Then, he draws out a contemplative murmur, always a more velvety voice than Byleth ever expects. “Hmmmmmmm. I appreciate your candor, sensei. But what of your own ability with a blade?” He brings the katana to his belt, as though sheathed. “I imagine you must know some Western technique, do you not?”
“A fair bit, yes. My weapon of choice in my experience is a segmented blade, so I picked up some skill. Cursory research suggests that the analogous Eastern technique would be Kendo, but I can tell that’s certainly not the method you practice. From what I can glean, you use Iaijutsu, correct?”
Yusuke nods with affirmation and deep joy in his tone. “Indeed. I’m amazed you could figure that out just by observing. You have a good eye, Sensei.”
Byleth twirls her own sword, rolling her wrist to draw hypnotic patterns beside her. “You seem to use the technique far more offensively, however. From what I read, Iaijutsu is normally used for counter-attacking.”
“You’ve done plenty of research, it seems.” Yusuke demonstrates his typical stance, one hand on the hilt, one above the (nonexistent, in this case) scabbard. “In battle, I find a plethora of opportunities to strike unsuspecting enemies amidst the beautiful chaos my teammates wreak. Were it not for them, I imagine my focus would be far more defensive, as you suggested.”
“Which means you must have a discerning eye as well, Kitagawa-san. Do you owe that to art?” Rather than remain standing, Byleth “sheathes” her katana and takes a crouching position at the center of the gym mat, just in front of Yusuke.
He joins her, his gaze never settling on any one spot of the room. “I suppose so. When inspiration strikes, I use that opportunity to sketch as much as possible in preparation for future attempts in returning to any particular piece. When I consider that, it may well be the case.”
“Wonderful. The fact that you can apply that skill to your swordplay makes you a boon to the team, I imagine.” Byleth sighs as her sentence peters off into nothingness. “In any case, it seems we’re at an impasse. With my lacking knowledge of Eastern technique, I have very little to teach you.”
Then, in an instant, she draws her blade and slashes upward, aiming for Yusuke’s torso. He barely reacts in time to unsheath his own and deflect her, narrowly escaping the strike. They both stand and hop backwards in one motion. Both of them wear a satisfied smirk.
“Ha, I admire your shrewdness!” Yusuke resumes his stance as the two circle one another on the gym mat. “You may not be able to teach me the ins and outs of the katana, but you can certainly test my reaction time!”
“There’s some carryover I can guide you on, at least. For example...” She lunges forward. Yusuke unsheathes his blade, but she catches his wrist and gives it a light twist. His fingers loosen, and the training sword slips from his grasp. She catches it on top of her foot, then gives Yusuke a coy grin as she pushes him away with a swift palm strike to the solar plexus. “Your grip needs work.” She kicks the sword back up, catching it in her free hand. She offers him the handle, no strings attached.
“Incredible. Regardless of schooling, you are out of my league with a blade.” He grabs the hilt, slowly, and bows.
Byleth sheaths her own blade, then approaches Yusuke’s side to better instruct him. “Don’t discount your own skill. But strive to improve. As you strike, most of your grip should be focused on your middle, ring, and pinky fingers. You don’t need a death grip -- it will cost you control. You want the blade to feel like it’s floating.” Then, the perfect words come to her. “As if you were holding a paintbrush.”
The realization shocks his eyes wide open. “Ah! Wonderful. Even more aspects to carry from my artistry. As if the battlefield were a canvas of its own!”
Byleth gingerly smiles, scratching her cheek with one finger. “Hey, if that helps.” She backs up again, sword at the ready. “Now, show me what you’ve learned.”
…
Byleth is collecting the gear from their session, proud of a job well done. As for Yusuke, he’s beaming with inspiration, ready to work more.
“If only I had considered the possibility of putting my artist’s technique into my swordplay. You’ve opened my eyes to so many new ideas, Sensei!”
“The inverse is also possible. Let your experience in battle fuel your creativity with a brush.” She doesn’t look up from her place zipping up their bag of practice blades and plastic armor. “You’ll find a loop of feedback between the two, constantly improving one another. Just like a student and their master.”
Yusuke smiles, bittersweet. “I suppose, in a way, this makes you a new art mentor for me. Strange as that may be.”
“If it helps your art, that would bring me joy.” She hoists the gym bag over her shoulder and across her torso (adjusting the strap to keep her chest comfortable), then addresses the elephant in the room. “I know what it’s like to have someone who you admire, who teaches you things you didn’t even know about yourself… I know what it’s like when they use you.”
“You’ve dealt with this as well, Sensei?” He seems surprised.
“Twice. For the latter, I had to change her heart.” She inhales deeply, then releases the breath in a huff. “That was one of my last forays into the Metaverse.”
“So your hand was forced much the same as mine.”
“I can empathize with the struggle, Kitagawa-san. It’s a tempest of emotion. I’m here if you need to talk about it. And I’m here to help ensure it doesn’t happen again.” She offers a hand to shake Yusuke’s. “Besides, I can’t plagiarize your skill with a katana. I can hardly even take credit for it. Your skill is entirely your own.”
He has no response, initially. He merely stands, dazed, trying to process it. Then, in one swoop, he takes her hand in both of his and shakes it enthusiastically. Despite the ecstatic movements, his voice is level. “You have my sincere thanks, Sensei. I will call for your assistance again.”
She joins him on a walk outside of the school, and the two find a restaurant bathroom for him to change back into his own clothes. In the process, Byleth treats him to a meal. Seemed like he was in the mood for something salty.
They part ways, somehow sharing a bond that both couldn’t have expected.
To Byleth’s surprise, no part of that lesson was truly awkward. However, most of it was its own distinct shade of bizarre. That’s not a bad thing.