50
Hidekazu
Calligraphy was Hidekazu’s idea of eternal punishment. Hours with his brush left his hands stiff and smeared with ink, and years of regular practice showed minimal overall improvement. As much as he wanted to settle his brushwork as a lost cause, as many students did, he refused to give up.
Precise calligraphy was one of the foundational skills of a bushi, at least for one with emphasis on spellcasting. Even with an irezumi to fast-cast and skip basic kigou, many spells required hand-drawn supplements to function.
Hidekazu placed his brush on the wooden rest sitting on his bamboo desk and flexed his aching hand. The Seiryan script was convoluted enough with its many strokes requiring command over movement, pressure, and line thickness. However, the writing system was still
