Chapter 1: The Princess Gets A Culture Shock

Martial might is a crude and savage thing. One need only look at a clenched fist to intuit that immediately. There is no beauty in a fist, only the promise of overwhelming violence. A fist exists for one purpose: to defeat one’s enemies. It has no need for elegance or grace. It is a tool to survive in this harsh and uncaring world. There is no room for aesthetics.

And yet, over thousands of years, humanity has transformed basic martial might into an art form. Thus, we now have martial arts. What separates martial arts from simple violence is the ideals and knowledge that make up their core. Do you wish to defeat your foes? Protect your loved ones? Everyone fights for their own reasons, and there is a martial art suited to each and every one of them. By granting a purpose and a goal to violence, it transforms from a wild, savage force to a beautiful art.

Today, too, Kurogane Ikki was in Hagun Academy’s courtyard, putting his swordsmanship on display. His form was pristine, and watching him, one could truly see what made martial arts an art form. He was fighting five foes in an impromptu mock battle, and they all charged him at once.

“Raaaaah!”

“You’re mine!”

They were armed with a myriad of weapons, from swords to spears to axes, and those weapons were wreathed in fire, lightning, or other magical forces. They were, of course, not using normal weapons, nor were they n