Chapter 98: The Breathing Style Expert
Next, Natsuya began guiding the three of them through their Breathing Styles one
by one.
His goal wasn't to force them back into the "Standard" mold. Since derivative
styles were effectively the "Best-in-Slot" builds for individual players, why
bother correcting their unique traits to fit a generic template?
I'm going to give these three custom mods!
Kyojuro was fundamentally different from Shinjuro or Dojima. His spirit was more
pure, more... Righteous.
The latter two, while using Flame Breathing, didn't mind using deceptive
techniques or auxiliary tools in a pinch. If it killed a demon, they'd use
Uzui's bombs or Shinobu's poison without a second thought.
But Kyojuro? He would refuse.
He wouldn't stop his comrades from using those methods, but he personally would
always choose to grind his own limits to the bone, winning with nothing but his
blade and a burning will. He was as upright as a lighthouse.
But that made Kyojuro "stiff" and "linear." This was his limit, but also his
defining trait.
Natsuya didn't doubt for a second that while other Flame-users might buckle
under despair, Kyojuro never would. He was the type of kid who would charge
straight ahead into death without ever looking back.
If the "Standard" Flame Breathing shackled that stubbornness, Natsuya was happy
to code a new path for him.
"Come on. Trigger your Flame Breathing and adjust your rhythm to my lead."
Natsuya placed a stone on the flat of Kyojuro's wooden sword. His other hand
pressed against Kyojuro's solar plexus.
"Standard Flame is about a steady burn. It lights the way and drives back the
dark like a torch. It's continuous. It reacts and adjusts to the environment."
Natsuya activated his own Flame Breathing, slowly shifting the melody while
choosing his words carefully.
"Can you feel it?"
Kyojuro struggled to keep the wooden sword level so the stone wouldn't slide
off. He shouted back, "MY APOLOGIES, ANIKI! ASIDE FROM THE HEAT OF YOUR HAND AND
THE WOBBLING ROCK, I FEEL NOTHING!"
The moment the boy's rhythm shifted, Natsuya's palm delivered a sudden burst of
pressure.
The "Owl Cub's" breath was forced out in a sharp vent. The rhythm broke. The
stone on his blade was launched into the air.
Natsuya picked up the stone and put it back.
"Try it my way. Let the breathing rhythm fluctuate wildly based on your
battle-intent."
"Don't worry about complexity. You only need two states."
"When guarding, your will is the anchor. The stone on the blade must be
immovable. Absolute Stability."
"But when you swing? It needs to be an explosion."
"Not a slow burn. A detonation. The blade should be a flash of fire that ends
the fight in a single frame. A collapsing star."
"Don't knock the stone away. Cut it in half."
This was a high-tier technique: taking a hyper-deep inhale and following it with
a series of short, violent exhales. It overclocked the heart and lungs
instantly. It took the "Torch" that was supposed to burn for an hour and
compressed its energy into a one-second blast.
It shared a similar logic to Thunder Breathing, focusing on an "Instant-Burst"
state, but kept the Flame school's focus on the upper body and core-strength.
As he manually tuned the boy's lungs, Natsuya checked his HUD.
Come on, [Mentorship LV.2]. Give me a Super Success! Proc the breakthrough!
Beside them, Obanai and Shinobu exchanged a look.
Obanai lowered his voice. "Is Senior's method... actually viable?"
It looked convincing, but he doubted anyone had the authority to "patch" a
Breathing Style that had existed for centuries.
Shinobu, however, didn't have a single doubt. She watched every detail of
Natsuya's guidance, her eyes fixed on him with a look of pure clinical respect.
"Natsuya-kun has mastered six styles. His Total Concentration output in every
single one is higher than any veteran I've met."
"He solo-suppressed a Lower Moon just days ago."
"Even if he isn't some legendary 'Progenitor' or the 'Strongest Swordsman'
yet..." She paused, a confident smirk on her face. "He is undeniably the most
knowledgeable person in the Corps when it comes to the Source Code of the
lungs."
"He is a Breathing Style Expert."
She turned to Obanai, her eyes crinkling. "So, Iguro-san, please don't question
Lord Natsuya's professionalism, okay?"
Obanai and the snake around his neck both shrunk back an inch.
Women are terrifying...
He looked back at Natsuya and tried to clear his mind of skepticism. A Breathing
Expert, huh? If someone truly mastered that many styles, maybe they really could
reverse-engineer the logic of the body better than a specialist.
"Senior! Is it my turn yet?"
Once Kyojuro seemed to have found the "Explosion" rhythm and Natsuya stepped
back, Obanai spoke up.
Natsuya looked at the moody, bandaged boy. I really want to give this kid a
Kusanagi sword and teach him some jutsu...
"Ahem. Little Orochi, you're currently using Water Breathing, right?"
"It's Obanai," the boy corrected through his bandages.
Natsuya ignored him. "Your situation is like Shinobu's. Your upper body and grip
strength are below the 'Warrior' requirements."
"Water Breathing is a great 'Generalist' class, but to hit the Tier-1 ceiling
with your specific stats... you're going to hit a wall."
"You'll need to transition into a specialized derivative."
Water Breathing relied on "Fluidity" and "Soft Power." It was meant to be
inclusive. You didn't need a body like a tank to use it, but you couldn't have
any glaring weaknesses either.
Obanai's arm strength was "Average" for a Slayer, but if he wanted to hit the
Hashira-tier, he'd have to work ten times harder than Kyojuro just to bridge the
raw power gap.
What about his physical development? Natsuya's Medicine HUD scanned the boy.
Even with growth spurts, Obanai's 'Individual Values' for Strength aren't high.
He won't ever catch up to the 'Heavyweights' like Uzui or Kyojuro.
"What do you suggest, Senior?"
"Sneak Attacks," Natsuya said bluntly.
Since the "Tank" and "High-DPS Warrior" specs were out, Natsuya immediately
thought of a High-Crit/Tech-based Assassin.
He had noticed that Obanai, unlike the poison-focused Shinobu, loved using
"Wicked Traces"—striking from weird angles and using unpredictable movements.
Perhaps the cutting power of Wind Breathing would be a better base for him than
the blunt flow of Water.
"Do you have a personal preference for your build?"
Obanai thought for a moment. "I... I like finding weak points. I'm not built for
clashing swords head-on."
He looked at Kaburamaru on his shoulder. This was the partner who had walked out
of hell with him. If possible, he wanted to be like the snake—hiding in the
grass, waiting for the perfect window to deliver a single, lethal strike.
"Then we'll focus on your Footwork and Leg-Power. If your arms are weak, we use
your entire body weight as a 'falling wedge' on the blade to increase
penetration."
Natsuya caught Obanai's gaze lingering on the snake.
"The snake? Why? Do you have some kind of 'Dynamic Duo' ultimate move ready?"
Obanai went silent. After a moment, he shared his vision for a combat style
inspired by the serpent.
Serpent-themed combat, huh?
"Get a custom wavy blade and coat it in Shinobu's toxins," Natsuya suggested.
"Fits the 'Snake' aesthetic perfectly."
Obanai couldn't help but roast him: "Senior, we are practicing Breathing Styles,
not shopping for equipment."
Natsuya laughed and stepped forward. "Right, right. Let's adjust the lungs
first."
☆☆☆
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