Chapter 51: Could He Be the One from the Rumors?
Total silence.
Igarashi Uzen looked at his hands—still trembling slightly, his grip on the Nichirin Sword white-knuckled. Then, he looked at Natsuya, who was panting heavily a few meters away, still holding his follow-through posture.
Was my Junior... truly this exceptional?
Igarashi slowly adjusted his glasses, which hadn't actually moved. The gaze behind the lenses was filled with an unprecedented mix of shock and clinical scrutiny.
"I see..." Igarashi murmured to himself, a genuinely excited smile spreading across his face. "Sen-no-Sen predicted the kinetic mechanics of that strike. But I drastically underestimated the raw explosive force... and your Total Concentration."
He walked toward Natsuya, his eyes burning with intensity.
"Your Total Concentration... it's different from everyone else's. It's nearly double the maximum output I projected for someone of your rank."
"Perhaps practicing multiple styles has deepened your understanding of the 'Source Code' of Breathing. Or perhaps you've simply reverse-engineered the Logic of body mechanics on your own."
"Either way, it's incredible. This isn't something that can be achieved through manual grinding alone. Kokonoe Natsuya... you have unknowingly stepped onto the path you were seeking."
"In time, you will surely become a Pillar of the Corps."
Igarashi looked at the boy—who was currently spacing out—and shook his head with a chuckle.
"Perhaps... you will even surpass our generation of 'Old Timers' and reach a realm no one has ever touched."
Natsuya nodded a bit woodenly. Inside, however, he was looking at his System Panel and screaming with joy.
How long has it been?!
His proficiency in multiple Breathing Styles had just spiked. The combined XP from that one exchange was equal to half a month of bitter manual grinding or solo-killing several high-tier demons.
Furthermore, his Wind-Breaker proficiency, which had been at 13%, had literally doubled to 26%.
And that wasn't even the best part. He had unlocked two new combat-oriented Life Skills.
[Fist Theory LV.0] (NEW)
Summary: The fist is not a mere extension of the limb, but a surge of spiritual intent.
Effect: Increases the effectiveness of all striking/unarmed techniques.
[Force Nullification LV.0] (NEW)
Summary: Regard an enemy's strike as a breeze over a hill or the moon reflecting on a river.
Effect: Increases the effectiveness of parrying and impact-mitigation (Sloughing).
Wait, skills that directly buff combat count as 'Life Skills'?
I get it! It's Martial Arts!
A victory for the Martial Arts build!
While his mind raced, Natsuya turned a hungry, predatory gaze toward Igarashi.
So my Senior is actually a high-drop-rate Humanoid XP Bag?
Igarashi: "?"
I didn't hit him in the head, did I? Why is he looking at me like a hungry puppy?
Yokohama. A Traditional Karate Dojo.
The wooden floorboards vibrated under heavy footfalls. The scent of sweat and aged timber hung in the air. Five Black-Belt instructors stood in a semi-circle around Natsuya, their eyes sharp, their breathing disciplined.
This was a daily training session. Natsuya wasn't there to win, nor was he there to tank hits. He was there to practice [Insight] and [Logic] without using any Breathing Styles.
"Please, guide me," Natsuya said.
The instructor on the left lunged first, his low leg-sweep snapping like a whip.
In a Karate sweep, the center of gravity drops and moves forward while the scapula retracts. Therefore, the upper body is wide open.
Natsuya could almost hear Igarashi's voice lecturing him. His mind was elsewhere, but his movements were precise.
Almost the instant the man's shoulder twitched, Natsuya raised his knee to check the sweep. Simultaneously, his right hand hooked into the man's collar like an iron claw, using the man's own momentum to throw him toward the second attacker on the right.
The third instructor closed in silently from behind, delivering a knife-hand strike toward Natsuya's neck.
Natsuya didn't turn around.
When people go for an ambush, they instinctively hold their breath. The footsteps get quieter, sure, but amateurs always let their clothing rustle more violently as they tense up.
Natsuya ducked and spun, delivering a perfect back-kick to the man's chest. He pulled the power at the last second, but the impact was still enough to send the instructor stumbling onto his back.
This wasn't the power of Breathing. This was pure "Input Reading" based on logic and observation.
Although he hadn't mastered Sen-no-Sen yet, the results were starting to show. Two months of observing thousands of civilians in Yokohama had turned into a tangible asset.
He could "see" the lines of tension in an opponent's muscles. He could "hear" the micro-shifts in floor pressure as they moved their weight. These were visual cues separate from the System's built-in Attack Warnings.
The game difficulty is basically dropping to 'Easy Mode' at this point.
Seeing Natsuya spacing out, the fourth instructor roared and charged. He used a standard, wide-open frontal lunge.
Natsuya's brain instantly calculated three optimal counter-routes.
Deflect and dislocate the joint?
Parry the lunge and elbow the diaphragm?
Or... just a simple leg-trip?
Just as he was about to choose...
"CAW—!!!"
A piercing shriek tore through the dojo's atmosphere.
It was Shiro. The Kasugai Crow kicked open a window and landed precisely on Natsuya's shoulder, a small roll of blood-stained cloth gripped in its talons.
"EMERGENCY ORDER! YOKOHAMA PORT, WAREHOUSE NO. 3! MULTIPLE DEMONS CONFIRMED! SLAYERS TRAPPED! REINFORCE! REINFORCE! CAW!"
The dojo went silent. The five instructors stared in horror at the impossible scene.
The crow... the crow just spoke?!
Natsuya took a deep breath and straightened up. He gave a slight nod to the Head Instructor and walked to the corner to grab his pack.
"Sorry. I have to end today's session here. Thank you for your time."
Natsuya took a few running steps, leaped off the edge of the dojo floor, caught the window frame with one hand, and vanished into the streets outside. His speed and agility were far beyond human limits.
Once he was gone, the black-belt instructors collapsed to the floor in relief. It took a full minute before the Head Instructor let out a long breath.
He rubbed his aching wrist and said raspy, "That kid... he wasn't even using half his strength."
"Half?" another groaned, sprawled out on the floor. "When I kicked him, it felt like hitting a solid oak pillar. He's fifteen years old and he's stronger than all of us combined."
"All those years of training... wasted on a dog," a third muttered.
The two instructors who hadn't been knocked down yet exchanged a look.
"Did that crow... just say 'Demons' and 'Slayers'?"
"Emergency mission... that doesn't sound like Metropolitan Police business."
"Chief, who the hell was that kid?"
The Head Instructor lowered his voice. "He was introduced by the Igarashi family. I thought he was some prodigy from the Police Academy..."
"But that doesn't fit, does it?" a younger instructor chimed in. "Hey, did you guys hear the rumors? My wife heard it at a tea party."
"They say the Tokyo Police secretly formed a department to handle 'abnormal' events. What was it called...?"
Another instructor snapped his fingers. He had relatives in Yamanashi Prefecture who had been helped by a mysterious unit.
"I heard it's called Special Service Section 9. The Demon Suppression Unit."
"According to my cousin, every member is a master of secret arts. Samurai and Miko who fight ancient monsters."
The younger instructor gasped. "Is it possible Kokonoe-kun is...?"
"Don't gossip!" the Head Instructor barked, though his own eyes were wide with uncertainty. "Some things are better left unknown. What happened here today—the crow, our guesses—not a word of it leaves this room! Understand?"
The others nodded solemnly. But a mix of awe, fear, and excitement had already taken root.
I have to tell my wife/best friend/dad about this tonight! they all thought simultaneously.
The rumors were destined to grow, taking on even more exaggerated forms in the dark undercurrents of Yokohama—forms Natsuya would never have expected.
"A-choo!"
Natsuya sneezed while sprinting across the rooftops. I can actually catch a cold in this game?
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