Chapter 32: The Foundation is Everything
Sugi Mikado could only swallow the bitter pill of his reality, forcing a smile that looked more like a pained grimace.
"Pro... probably not yet," he stammered, choosing his words carefully. "After all, the second seat only recently transferred to Chiba Academy. But I think... they're in that delicate stage before anything is official. At the very least... ahem, the Club President is definitely interested in him."
Sugi Mikado's conclusion was pure speculation. Rovel rarely betrayed any strong emotions, making it impossible to gauge the true depth of his relationship with Mei.
Still, the evidence from yesterday was compelling. Rovel, riding his bicycle with Mei seated behind him, heading home together… no matter how you sliced it, that wasn't something you did for just anyone. There had to be something more to it.
As for Mei, her feelings were an open book. The gentle, almost reverent way she looked at Rovel was a side of her she showed to no one else. Her affection was practically written across her face for all to see.
'In other words… I still have a chance!' Asaka Yuno silently pumped her fist, a spark of determination igniting in her eyes.
As the old saying went, no fortress was impenetrable if you laid the siege just right. Besides, they weren't even officially a couple yet! It was still anyone's game!
Seeing the fiery resolve on Asaka Yuno's face, Sugi Mikado didn't have the heart to douse her spirits with a cold dose of reality. He knew the truth, though. In terms of looks, temperament, and sheer strength, Asaka Yuno couldn't hold a candle to Raiden Mei. If she could, perhaps he'd concede she had a sliver of a chance.
And as for family background? While it was true the Raiden family had fallen on hard times, Rovel had proven he couldn't care less about such things. He had stood by Mei, shielding her when the rest of the world was eager to cast her aside.
'Poor girl,'Sugi thought with a pang of pity.'You don't stand a chance.'
He shook his head with a faint, weary sigh, pushed himself up from the bench, and walked away, leaving her to her hopeful fantasies.
…
That afternoon, Asaka Yuno launched her campaign.
She approached Rovel during a break in practice, her expression a careful mix of earnestness and charm. "Fang-kun, could you teach me Kendo?"
"Sorry, I have to train with Mei. I don't have the time," Rovel refused without a moment's hesitation, his focus already drifting back to the training dummy. "Ask one of the other club members. They're more than skilled enough to guide you."
He had a singular goal: get stronger. He couldn't afford to let trivial distractions slow his momentum. The revelation that Mei's devastating 'Five-Slash Rapid Severance' was merely one of her basic attacks had lit a fire under him, intensifying his hunger for power.
He wasn't just doing this for himself. He was doing it for Yuki.
For the first time, he saw a tangible path, a glimmer of hope to pull his sister from the suffocating quagmire of their 'Family'. He couldn't stop now. He wouldn't.
"Oh… alright then…" Asaka Yuno's shoulders slumped. She walked to the far side of the dojo, her disappointment evident, and began practicing her sword swings alone.
A short while later, however, she returned, her spirit seemingly renewed. She ran over to him, offering a bottle of cool water and a fresh towel.
Rovel, lost in the rhythm of his training, accepted them without a second thought. To him, it was a simple courtesy, but for Asaka Yuno, that small act of acceptance was enough to make her beam with happiness.
From across the dojo, Mei observed the exchange. She said nothing, but her knuckles turned white as her grip tightened on the hilt of her own wooden sword.
After their next sparring session concluded, with both of them breathing heavily, Raiden Mei suddenly spoke.
"Rovel-kun," she began, her voice soft but firm. "You've already mastered Basic Kendo to a deep level, even awakening your own 'Sword Intent.' I believe you're ready. I will now teach you the Hokushin Ittō-ryū: Battōjutsu."
Hearing those words, the exhaustion vanished from Rovel's eyes, replaced first by a surge of pure excitement, then by a flicker of hesitation.
"Wait a minute," he said, his brow furrowing. "This is the sword style you learned from the Homu Sword Saint, isn't it? Are you sure it's okay to teach it to me?"
His A-rank mission was clear: defeat Raiden Mei in a direct confrontation using her own style to earn the 'Hokushin Ittō-ryū Master Certification'. That title, 'Master Certification', implied he needed to learn the entire, complete style. If she only taught him a single move or two, he reasoned, it probably wouldn't invalidate the mission's conditions, would it?
"It's fine," Mei replied, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she averted her gaze. "The Homu Sword Saint told me that if I ever met someone I could truly trust, I was permitted to pass the technique on to them… and if it's you, Rovel-kun… I am willing to trust you."
The implication was so clear it was practically a confession.
"Ahem," Rovel coughed, trying to clear the sudden tightness in his throat. "Well, if Mei thinks it's okay, then I'm certainly not going to object." He graciously accepted her incredible gift.
He wasn't blind. He could see that Asaka Yuno was trying to pursue him, but he had no interest in starting anything right now. It seemed Mei had picked up on it too, and this… this was her response. A sense of crisis had prompted her to make her move early.
'That… has to be it, right?' he thought, a corner of his mouth twitching into a smile.
Under Raiden Mei's patient and careful guidance, Rovel began to learn. She adjusted his stance, corrected the angle of his grip, and walked him through the breathing and focus required for the single, perfect draw. Soon, he had grasped the fundamentals of 'Hokushin Ittō-ryū: Battōjutsu'.
In his skill menu, a new entry finally appeared, breaking the monotony of his basic techniques.
[Skill Learned: Hokushin Ittō-ryū: Battōjutsu (Blue) (Beginner: 0/100)]
[Hokushin Ittō-ryū: Battōjutsu (Blue): The opening iaijutsu strike of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū. A draw as swift as lightning and as fleeting as the wind. The moment the blade leaves its sheath, the strike is already complete.]
Rovel blinked. The 'Hokushin Ittō-ryū Master Certification' was a Purple-rarity reward, so it made perfect sense that a single technique derived from it would be of Blue rarity.
"The very core of Hokushin Ittō-ryū is speed," Raiden Mei explained, her tone professional once more. "Therefore, while Battōjutsu is the school's opening technique, it is also its single fastest strike."
"I see…" Rovel nodded, absorbing her words.
He turned to face a fresh training dummy, settling the wooden sword into a sheathed position at his waist. He took a deep breath, centering himself.
Fwish!
A flicker of light, a whisper of displaced air. To an outside observer, Rovel hadn't moved at all. Yet, a string of crimson numbers floated silently above the training dummy's head: '-371'.
A second later, as if its own structure had just realized it had been fatally compromised, the dummy split cleanly in two, the top half sliding off and clattering to the floor.
The terrifying damage value sent a jolt of exhilaration through Rovel. It was the highest number he had ever dealt in a single blow.
[Practiced Hokushin Ittō-ryū: Battōjutsu (Blue), Skill Proficiency +7.]
[Due to your status as the Kendo Club's Second Seat, Skill Proficiency +3 extra.]
[As your Basic Kendo has reached 'Minor Accomplishment', Skill Proficiency +21 extra.]
"Second Seat," a dry voice called out from the side. Sugi Mikado approached, looking at the sundered dummy with a pained expression. "The Kendo Club's equipment is purchased with school funds. You have to pay for any damages. We've already exceeded our breakage quota for the month, so this one will incur an extra charge."
Rovel's victorious mood deflated instantly. "…Why didn't you say so earlier?"
[Game Currency -500]
Despite the cost, the proficiency gain from that single strike was immense—a total of 31 points. And the last line of the system prompt was particularly intriguing. His 'Minor Accomplishment' in Basic Kendo was providing a massive proficiency bonus to other sword styles. The bonus wasn't just significant; it had tripled the base gain.
Rovel pulled up the description for his most fundamental skill.
[Basic Kendo (White): The most fundamental techniques of Kendo. Though simple, it is the required foundation from which all other sword styles must be built.]
The description was explicit. To improve any advanced sword technique, one had to first master the basics. In other words, if he wanted to raise 'Hokushin Ittō-ryū: Battōjutsu' to Great Accomplishment, his Basic Kendo would have to reach that level first.
, the higher his proficiency in the basics, the greater the bonus he would receive when learning anything else. His rate of improvement would skyrocket.
A wave of understanding washed over him. The foundation wasn't just a starting point.
The foundation was everything.
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