Chapter 17:Mio’s Backstory

The Inuyama Kendo Dojo was silent,bathed in the glow of the setting sun.Mio stood alone,her fingers tracing the edge of a heavy,ironwood Bokken–a training weapon that weighted important aspects and cores that she had used since the day she arrived in this city.

She wasn’t just swinging it.She was remembering her past life.

When she was born,she was a “natural anomaly” due to her immense natural strength which was different from any baby's strength.By the age of twelve,she could overpower her father in a match of arm wrestling without even trying.Her parents were baffled by her natural strength since birth.They asked the doctor is there any factors that is the cause for her abnormal strength.The doctor has no explanation to her sudden immense strength from birth as the doctor said it might be the first time it had such a case.

During Mio’s pre-school period,her parents sent her to the doctor for any side effects or any life changing effects for her natural strength which the doctor said no,which implies that her increase in strength was sudden and possibly caused by rare genetics.

In middle school,she was thrust into a brutal hierarchy similar to Rei’s school hierarchy where strength was the pinnacle of power.As a Rank 5,she was a target.Every delinquent and “power-seeker” challenged her,tall or short,female or male,and every time,the result was the same,broken bones and hospitalizations.

“Hey Ogre bitch,you look weak but somehow you’re Rank 5,I don’t believe it,I want to see those rumors myself.” One of the lines she remembered from someone who is foolish enough to challenge her.

“Who you calling a bitch?If you want to take my Rank,then bring it on!” Mio defended herself.

Her challenger?A male who was slightly taller than her.The boy tried to tackle her into the ground hoping she would submit to him however,Mio stood her ground unfazed by the tall boy trying to push her down.She grabbed the collar of the tall boy and pushed him away from her.

The boy was surprised by the strength of her grab but before he could say anything to her,Mio landed a Jab Cross combination to the boy’s face with the strength of a swinging metal pipe hitting the boy’s face.

The tall boy’s nose was bleeding without him realizing it as the boy was long unconscious already.

She was expelled not because she was a bully,but because she was “too dangerous” to be left in this school.Her parents,unable to look her in the eye,sent her to Inuyama for “rehabilitation”.

She was sent to Inuyama with a weekly allowance by her parents to hopefully support her in her new life in Inuyama,however she doesn’t like being here because she was sent here alone…

One evening while she was walking home,a local Kendo instructor was nearby trying to promote his dojo but his advertising brought no new customers or students.The instructor let out a pretty disappointed sigh until Mio came across the dojo which the instructor asked her to join his dojo as it has barely any new students.She wanted to decline the request until the instructor told her,”I can teach you how to control your power whether your strength is immense strength or little to no strength,I can teach you and don’t worry about being alone in training as there is..” It was cut off by an older boy exiting the dojo and saying “There is us! It will be fun! Come join us,you will feel like family here!”.The instructor hit the older boy’s head,”My apologies,these are my students,all my students are considered my children.I will treat all of them like mine.”

The spark in her eyes sparkles,”Family?” she asked,”Yes,family” the older boy,who now has a bump on his head from the instructor.

Many days go by,the dojo’s top students–older males and females treated her like a stubborn,gifted younger sister.They were the first people who didn’t flinch when she moved or hit something hard.They shared meals with her,ruffled her hair after grueling sessions,and promised to see her on National Kendo Tournament one day.

“Okay hit this bamboo as hard as you can.” One of the top students who was a blonde male asked Mio,

Mio holding a normal wooden bokken strikes the bamboo with ease and makes the bamboo snap in half.

“Wow! Impressive from our little Mio!” One of the female top students complimented her strength while pinching her cheek.

“He-Hey.. stop that big sis” Mio said while her cheek is getting non-stop pinched by that senior top student.

“Wow! Is that from our little Mio? That’s impressive,we should celebrate your achievement by treating you to whatever food you want in town.” The brown-haired male top student congratulated her.

During dinner,all the top students,instructor and Mio were there eating their dinner.

“Hey want a beer?” One of the male top students asked Mio,oblivious to Mio being underaged.

Smack

“Ow… what was that for?” The oblivious senior student asked,someone smack the back of his head.

“You crazy or what? She’s just thirteen! Of course she doesn't want the beer!” One of the female students with a ponytail said and the one that smacks the senior male student.

“Well… back then,my dad used to give me beer for breakfast when I was her age.Didn’t change what I became though.

The instructor laughed and said “No wonder you swing your bokken like a madman during one of your tournament matches.”.That statement made everybody laugh, including Mio.

Every training,she crushed target practices with ease so to solve the lack of target practices,the instructor gave her a heavy, ironwood bokken.She held the thing and felt the weight of it.”Holy…this thing is heavy but I guess I can work with this.”.The instructor explained that it was to help her control her strength and self-control,and also to save cost on practice targets.

Every training,Mio used the heavy bokken. To her,it was a gift from her instructor,so she valued it like a lost treasure.

“Say her birthday is coming up in a few months,should we give her something,sensei? The top students whispered to the instructor’s ear.

“I already got her gift when she agreed to come to our dojo.” The instructor replied,”You didn’t give us any gifts this year.How come she has her gift ready?” one of the top students said.”Y’all birthdays already prepared by me,just that it's not close to Mio’s birthday.” Instructor defends himself”

One day,local thugs came to the dojo.

“Hey old man,we want you to pay your protection fees?” one of the thugs asked.

“I didn’t order anything nor bought anything so why should I pay you?” The instructor replied back to the thugs,with his eyes steady.

“Funny old man,but I'm running out of patience,pay up now or else we’ll claim this place as ours.” the thug threatening.

“You may go ahead and try to claim this place if you earn it.” The instructor said with a threatening tone.

The local thugs charged the instructor, however,they were struck hard on the head with a bokken by the two senior students hiding behind the entrance.

The thugs, realizing it might not be worth the challenge,with their head hurting like a headache,dashed out of the dojo.

“Hahaha! Did you see that? How that guy’s head feeling I could imagine.”the top student laughed.

All the joyous memories turned cold as one day,the local thugs,who were humiliated by the instructor and the seniors' refusal to pay “Protection Fees” returned with a full gang.

“Mio,take the juniors to the storage room now! Lock the door!” The instructor barked.“And you cover me while we guide them to safety.” the instructor commanded while pointing to one of the top students.

“Understood,sensei!”

Mio watched as her “Big Brothers” and “Big Sisters”,the seniors who had laughed with her that morning,formed a defensive line.She heard metal clashing,screaming and blood leaking from the entrance while she ran with her juniors.

A loud screaming was heard while locking the storage room,the senior who was with the instructor guarding the juniors and Mio said,”Forgive me sensei!” and ran into the entrance with his Uchigatana or Katana unsheathed.

The senior clashed with the thugs, slashing them with ease,his eyes were full of bloodlust and anger until the leader of the thugs came in with one of his fallen friend’s Uchigatana stabbed through the senior’s upper torso.

The senior coughed out blood,”Well well well…are you here to join your friends as well? I could let you live if you tell me where the others are.”

The senior laughed maniacally,”What's so funny–” The leader asked before his hand got cut off by the swift and like a madman.

“GOD DAMN IT KID! You really pissed me off” The leader madly said while holding his lost right hand. The Uchigatana is still in the senior’s upper torso.

“You are weak,I can’t believe there’s bitches like you who are so weak.I will meet you in hell where I can torture you as much as I want you to suffer.How dare you use that.. Uchigatana” The senior spits blood on the leader.

The leader kicks the senior to the ground,ending the senior’s life.”I hope you suffer in hell.”

The instructor arrived but he was too late.The instructor was absolutely heartbroken as he watched his students,his “children” he trained,sacrifice themselves with bravery.”I’m sorry my children,I've failed to protect you all.”.With a final,agonizing cry of sadness and battle,he charged into the remaining thugs and the leader.

By the time the silence returned,the courtyard was a battlefield.The instructor had eliminated all the remaining thugs and their leader who had been stabbed and pinned to the pillar,but his own life was flickering out.

Mio saw this and let out an agonizing cry,she ran to the instructor,knelt beside him,her tears falling onto his blood-stained gi.

“Hey.. Mio,don’t cry,my child.Don’t… don’t let their weight be a burden,Mio,” he whispered,coughing up blood.”Let it be your strength.Go to the storage room… under the white cloth.” The instructor coughed up even more blood.

“Please… don’t go,I can get help!” Mio begged her instructor, however the instructor with a smile on his face,one last smile,”Please Mio,I will do just fine.Follow my last instruction for you.”

Mio went to the storage room.Under the cloth,Mio found a Tachi of exquisite craft,her signature weapon.Beside it lay a letter:

“To my strongest potential student,Mio. You were never too strong for us. You were never a monster to us. You were a star that hadn’t found its orbit.Your brothers,sisters and I prepared this Tachi to fit your strength.I pray that this Tachi can give you a gift that is the happiest of your life.Stand on the National stage for all of us.We’ll like to watch you become the greatest Kendo artist to ever live.Happy birthday Mio,”

The letter was filled with Happy birthday messages from all her seniors.Tears started dropping on the letter as she hugged the Tachi close to her.

Mio snapped the heavy,ironwood bokken into its sheath,the clack echoing like a gunshot in the empty dojo.

She looked at her reflection.She wasn’t just a girl anymore,she was the walking legacy of her seniors who died so she could keep swinging and her late instructor.

As she stepped out of the dojo,she saw Hiyori waiting at the gate,waving with a bright,innocent smile.The contrast hit Mio like a physical blow as Hiyori was the first person from her first day of Inuyama middle school till now to see her as “normal” after the tragedy.

Mio gripped her Tachi tighter,the same Tachi her seniors and instructor gave her for her before her birthday due to the incident.

“Hello Mio! How's your solo performance going?” Hiyori asked

“It's the best you can ever see,” Mio proudly said.

“Heheh classic Mio behavior,do you remember how we used to meet,you used to be the scary girl that everybody used to be scared off and remember how you protected me? That was so cool as I look back at it.” Hiyori asked,with a slight teasing tone.

“Well… you treated me ‘normal’ I guess but can you please don’t bring up the fierce girl everybody thought I was when I first came to school.I think how I used to protect you from those bullies is much better to remember.” Mio said with a bit of an embarrassed face.

“Hahaha okay lets walk home together then!” Hiyori laughed while asking her.

“Alright.” Mio answered.

The two walked home in the sunset of Inuyama.

Author's note:

✍️ Fun fact:

The difference between a Katana and a Tachi is central to Mio's physics. While a Katana is worn edge-up for quick draws, a Tachi is worn edge-down and has a deeper curve.  In physics terms, the Tachi's design maximizes Centripetal Force and Slicing Torque.