The rest of the class went off without a hitch, and I spent the rest of the day thinking about my next sword class.
　After a brief communication in homeroom, the girls of the class came over to chat, as usual.
　After a brief chat, I headed to my regular meeting, where I would have an elegant afternoon.

Teacher, please.

　There was no .......
　He was so polite that he came to pick me up after the meeting, or perhaps he still thought I would run away.
　Or perhaps he couldn't wait to see me.
　His eyes seemed to be shining a little, indicating that he was really looking forward to being trained.
　You can also see it in the way he looked at the sword class earlier.

Don't panic, I'm not going to run away. As for the place, well... If it's a deserted place, it's probably in the forest.
Yes, let's go now!
Don't be in such a hurry.

　He was as eager as if he was going on a field trip.
　In fact, we're going to practice swordsmanship.
　After school, students often practice magic and swordsmanship with each other in the training hall.
　The combination of me and Iris would be conspicuous to say the least.
　Besides, if I, as the instructor, were to be seen teaching Iris over and over again, that might cause some problems.
　After much consideration, I decided to take a low-profile approach.
　Thus, Iris and I came to the forest in the school grounds.
　A section of the forest is off-limits due to the recent assassination attempt on Iris.
　The assassin's arrival is not publicized.
　Iris herself probably doesn't want people to know that an attempt has been made on her life.

Now, it's time to practice.
Yes, please.

　He had been a little more enthusiastic earlier, but now he seemed to be a little nervous.
　I'm not sure what to make of this.
　The image of her as strong and noble precedes her, and many of the students refer to her by her title or as Iris.
　However, when I got to know her like this, I found her to be a normal nervous girl.
　She was even uncomfortable in class.

"Don't be so nervous. Let's just take it easy.
"Okay.
First of all, I'd like to see what you can do, Iris.
A match?
Iris is very bloodthirsty. Aria also suddenly wants to have a match.
I've been asking for it for a while now. That .......

　I'm not sure if this is the kind of thing a girl would tell you.
　I'm not sure how much better it would have been if the girl had told me. The reality is that she's asking me to fight for her.
　It's not that I don't understand how Iris feels.
　For her, at least, there is a sense that fighting me is the closest she can come to breaking out of her shell.
　If there are things that she realizes during the fight, it will definitely lead to her growth.
　This is what I call gaining experience.
　Well, it's better to be steady than to take that approach now. ...... After all, the situation is the situation.

"Before you fight me, do you see this?

　Then I swing the mock sword in my hand.
　The only sound around me was the sound of the wind blowing, and the grass and trees swayed softly.
　It was a simple swing of the sword, but it was a serious swing.

"Yes, I can see you, at least.
And by "sort of," you mean you can follow it with your eyes, right?
Yes, ......, that's right.
Then how about this?

　He swings the sword again.
　This time, he swung faster than before - the sound of the wind cutting was sharper, and he swung his sword faster than the wind pressure was generated.
　Iris gave him a startled look.

"I can see it, but ......
You said you couldn't handle it.
Yes, yes. I'm not sure if I can take it at this level.

　Iris replies honestly.
　Her strength is real, but if she can actually take my sword, it will be impossible.
　It's not because she's weak.

From now on, I want you to be able to take this sword.
"!　Does that mean you can withstand Dr. Schweizer's strikes?
That would be one way to do it, but not this time. Iris-san doesn't seem to realize it, but you are originally able to withstand my attacks.
"What?　What do you mean?

　Iris shouted in surprise.
　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I think it's a good idea.
　What's missing is experience - and the feeling that comes with it.

Do you remember Azuma Kry, one of the assassins who targeted you the other day?
That's the Swordsmen of .......

　When she said the word "swordsmen," her expression was somewhat gloomy.
　I wonder if she feels that she can't win by herself.


　No, she knew about the swordsmen - maybe there was something to it, but right now it was more about the swordplay.

"Yes. He prevented my swordplay. My current swordsmanship is a little slower than it was then, but Iris-san's ability is comparable to Azuma's. That Azuma has blocked my attacks several times. There's no way you can't defend yourself.
I can understand why you would say that, but ...... I don't think you can actually prevent it.
So this exercise is very simple. Iris, can you 'slash a falling leaf'?
Yes, that's about it. ......

　You say "that much", but cutting leaves is something you have to be a very good swordsman to do.
　The fact that he said it so casually shows the high level of Iris.
　What is required of Iris is not just slashing.

Then, how about this?

　He swings his sword once toward the sky.
　As the wind whipped up, some fallen leaves flew behind me.
　I chop them up without looking at the leaves.
　Without looking at the falling leaves, I cut them in half.

"What?　Was that ......?　Did you just slash it without looking?
"That's right. I didn't see how many leaves fell or where they flew to, but I can feel them.
Well, what do you mean by senses, ......, you can do that?
I'm sure you'll be able to find something that will help you out.　It's a matter of sensation. It's also the first step in sensing things that come from invisible places. Well, this may be more difficult because there is no deadly force, but it is better for practice. The reason why Azuma was able to block my attack was because he sensed where my attack was coming from. If you know where it's coming, don't you think you can prevent it, even if you can barely follow it with your eyes?
That's ...... true, but ......

　Of course, this can only be understood by a child as capable as Iris.
　If you're a normal person, you can't move fast enough to block my sword in the first place.
　It may not be the kind of training that Iris is looking for, but I'm sure this method will help her grow.
　Instead of training herself to become stronger, she would first use her strength to fight.

"You don't have to cut down multiple cards like I do. First of all, make sure to cut down one leaf - the invisible falling leaves. Can you do that?

　At my question, Iris' initially confused expression changes.
　She exhaled a small breath, and her expression was serious.

I can do it. I can do it. I'll be able to do it today.

　I smiled at her and replied.
　I smiled at her and replied, "You don't have to be able to do it by the end of the day.