midway | heaven / uruha

What else? Did you act?

Some acting and dancing, yes.

Is that what you wanted to do? Before you were dragged into this conflict?

The sword has always been my primary focus. [said simply.] I guess you could say this was more of a backup.

[something that also made for a more viable career during peaceful times.]

Was there already conflict when you were a kid?

[shakes his head]

Not until my teenage years. Back when I trained as a kid, I didn't expect that my skills would be put to test during wartime.

Why'd you pick up the sword during a time of peace then?

[ confusion ]

It's not that uncommon where I'm from—training in dojos and the like. Japan has a pretty big culture around swords.

... Training for fun?

[ he's like

totally baffled ]

Yeah. Think of swordsmanship as also like... an art form? Or a form of discipline.

Ah, so you're just a renaissance man.

If that's what you want to call it.

Though it's true that nowadays, people don't really carry a sword in public unless they have criminal ties, or they need one for self-defence.

But the war wasn't that far back, was it?

[truly dazed trying to tag this back after killing you]

Eighteen years ago. Recent enough for those of us in it to remember, long enough ago that it's history to those young enough.