"Start with the grip, make sure your footing is steady, and when holding the hilt, your fingers must…"
In the small courtyard behind the tavern, Artoria was personally teaching Zhang Da Ye and Tom swordsmanship.
Yes, even Tom had to learn. His previous sword usage wasn't really technique—it relied entirely on his feline reflexes.
Zhang Da Ye didn't want Tom to spend his days eating and sleeping, especially without Jerry to keep him active. A bit of exercise was necessary to prevent him from becoming a round ball.
So, they bought a children's bamboo sword for Tom. Fortunately, he was curious and eager to learn, performing the moves surprisingly well.
Zhang Da Ye, however, found reality differed from imagination.
Imagine a beautiful girl like Artoria correcting your stance and grip hand-on-hand—normally, it might cause your heart to race. But in reality, Zhang Da Ye's hands were red from being pinched; her grip was surprisingly strong…
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to focus—distracted thoughts were a sign of not paying attention.
"Next, the thrusting technique…"
"Now, the slashing motion…"
"Make sure to use force properly…"
Artoria demonstrated each move while they copied, adjusting with her guidance.
Once the essentials were learned, repetitive practice began. A hundred swings were just a warm-up; a thousand counted as proper training. Artoria's teaching was strict; any lapse or mistake was unacceptable.
Zhang Da Ye managed, having trained consistently. Tom, however, struggled.
Despite being an extraordinary cat, his stamina was limited. Hosting a piano recital or conducting a symphony exhausted him, even without Jerry causing chaos.
At first, he struck poses with enthusiasm, enjoying the lessons. But after a thousand swings, Tom felt like giving up entirely.
Soon, the cat became almost liquid with fatigue, yet seeing Artoria practice seriously beside them, he pitifully continued.
Then, an idea struck him. Stealing a glance at their movements, he brightened.
Artoria practiced alongside them to strengthen herself after the clash with Shanks. Unlike before, she no longer relied on Master's magical energy; her power now came entirely from herself.
One swing after another, Zhang Da Ye mechanically repeated the motions, arms aching, energy occasionally rising on his left hand, motivating him to persist.
Finally, Artoria called a halt.
"Take a break, review your techniques… and… have you seen Tom?"
"Tom? He's right here, isn't he?" Zhang Da Ye scanned the yard, remembering Tom swinging his sword.
But he turned to find no Tom—only a wooden dummy painted in his likeness.
The dummy had movable arms holding a bamboo sword, tied to strings running into the house. Pulling the strings made the sword swing, returning via springs.
Zhang Da Ye was dumbfounded. Tom, a master craftsman, could create this mechanism—but how did he swap himself unnoticed?
Following the strings, they found Tom lounging on a beach chair with a small table, sipping iced juice through a long straw while reading a newspaper.
Oblivious to their gaze, he used small leg movements to operate the dummy's sword.
Artoria gaped; Zhang Da Ye clenched his teeth. "I'm exhausted outside, and you're relaxing inside?"
Tom noticed the shadow looming, lowered the paper, and saw Zhang Da Ye smiling. Embarrassed, he quickly moved his legs to swing the dummy faster, showing he was "practicing."
"Tom!" Zhang Da Ye called out, amused by the wooden dummy.
Startled, Tom scrambled, hitting the folding chair, trapping himself with only limbs flailing helplessly.
Zhang Da Ye laughed heartily. Even Artoria couldn't help but giggle at the silly cat.
Rescued, Tom offered drinks to both and some snacks to Artoria, earning head pats from the "king."
Zhang Da Ye refilled his own water and went to charge his summoning energy, eagerly starting the draw.
**[Congratulations! You obtained: Emiya family frying spatula, little mouse Teffi's diaper]**
**[Stored in inventory.]**
Was he supposed to collect all Emiya cooking tools? Couldn't the next target be another family? And what was with the diaper…? The Cat & Mouse draw pool still existed, reducing chances of rare items.
Still, as stamina increased, daily energy charges would rise, giving more draw opportunities.
Even ignoring draws, endurance mattered—top-tier fighters could battle for days on end. Zhang Da Ye didn't know if he could reach that level, but a dream was necessary.