Chapter 16: I Choose You, Mr. Great Tree.
"Teacher!"
The last sight before him was the back of Zephyr turning to leave; the next second, the world spun.
Ryuji snapped his eyes open. The familiar wooden beams of the ceiling came into view, with an anxious Teacher Mochizuki standing nearby.
Sweat had soaked the tatami mat beneath him, leaving a human-shaped wet patch.
He gasped for air, every breath pulling at his aching muscles as if he had been pummeled by someone's fists.
This was the pain left behind after being taught by Zephyr.
Amidst this tangible pain, Zephyr's unfinished words crashed into his mind with absolute clarity once more: "That punch wasn't bad; you have a good understanding of how to generate power from your fist, but your sword..."
Although Zephyr hadn't finished the sentence, Ryuji understood the subtext: his understanding of the sword was wrong!
In other words, in Zephyr's eyes, he wasn't suited to be a swordsman!
Ryuji fell silent. He subconsciously looked at Little Purple, which was resting quietly within reach of his right hand. Though he hadn't had it for long, he felt that Little Purple was quite comfortable to use.
"You're finally awake. You worried me to death."
Mochizuki Tosaburo watched Ryuji come to his senses and tossed him a towel. "Wipe yourself down. You're covered in sweat. You were tossing and turning the whole time, and your breathing was as heavy as a bellows..."
Ryuji took the towel, sat up, and began to wipe himself. "Thank you, Teacher..."
His voice was somewhat raspy.
"Was it a nightmare? When I came back from my first demon slaying mission, I was the same way—tossing and turning and talking nonsense all night."
Mochizuki Tosaburo exhaled a puff of smoke. His gaze lingered for a moment on Ryuji's clenched fists and sweat-drenched forehead, and his tone softened slightly. "You'll get used to it. Some hurdles you have to clear on your own."
As he spoke, Mochizuki Tosaburo pointed to the table beside them. "Drink this bowl of fish soup while it's hot. There's food in the kitchen. I won't be back today."
Ryuji raised an eyebrow and looked at Mochizuki Tosaburo. "Teacher, where are you going?"
"To Madam Suzuki's house at the edge of the village to help out... Kids shouldn't ask so many questions. Just eat and rest."
As he spoke, Mochizuki Tosaburo took a puff from his pipe and walked out with a swaggering, arrogant gait. Before leaving, he looked back and said, "Remember to drink the soup while it's hot."
"I know. Just don't 'help' your way into her bed."
Ryuji shook his head and spoke softly.
"Heh, is your Master that kind of person? Of course, if Madam Suzuki were to invite me..."
Mochizuki Tosaburo had a somewhat lewd expression as he left with a loud laugh.
Auntie Yuriko wouldn't even give you a second look... Ryuji rolled his eyes. This bit of banter with Teacher Mochizuki had actually dispelled much of the confusion in his heart.
Since he couldn't figure it out, he wouldn't think about it for now.
The gains from this battle against Zephyr were not small. At the very least, he knew that when he performed his swordsmanship, his power delivery was wrong and the force was too scattered. Was that why his blade broke easily?
Before Ryuji could finish his thoughts, a mechanical voice sounded in his mind.
[Ding! Completed one-on-one instruction from Zephyr. Reward: 100 practice Points.]
[Due to your actions, you have drawn the attention of Zephyr and the three Navy Admirals. Extra Reward: Navy Six Styles: Paper Arts (Prototype).]
[Navy Six Styles: Paper Arts (Prototype): After taking a beating from Admiral Zephyr, your brain isn't as useful as your body. To avoid injury, your body has autonomously learned a method of shedding force. Sometimes, it's better to give up control of your body; it might yield unexpected results.]
100 practice Points?
Good. This beating wasn't for nothing, and he even learned Navy Six Styles: Paper Arts!
Fantastic!
Kami-e was one of the harder techniques to learn among the Six Powers, which are six practical combat skills.
They include Finger Pistol, Tempest Kick, Iron Body, Moonwalk, Kami-e, and Shave!
Among the six techniques, the hardest to learn is Shave, while Kami-e and Moonwalk are tied for second. They are very difficult to Master.
It's not just a prerequisite for Life Return, but also for unlocking Observation Haki!
Although there aren't many Conqueror's Haki users in the Navy, dual-color Haki is very common, and they use it better than average pirates precisely because of the Six Powers!
Once he practiced Kami-e a bit more and unlocked Observation Haki, he wouldn't have to worry so much when facing a gimmick-heavy opponent like Akinasa in the future!
A bountiful harvest!
Ryuji stood up and stretched his limbs. He felt as if he were a bit lighter than before?
His flexibility seemed to have increased too?
He tried some stretching exercises; it was indeed easier than before, and his joints and muscles felt much more supple!
This was the benefit brought by Kami-e!
Thinking this, he picked up the warm fish soup on the table and drained it in one gulp. He felt as if his whole being was healed, and the pain throughout his body diminished significantly.
He stood up, walked into the courtyard, and shouted toward the sky:
"Little Red!"
Before long, Little Red flew over reluctantly and landed on Ryuji's head. "Speak if you have business, else dismiss the court. This King is busy!"
Ryuji: "..."
He was a bit speechless.
"I have some very important news to report to the Master. It concerns the Upper Ranks!"
Ryuji spoke softly. Although he knew the details clearly, he could only speak vaguely.
Otherwise, if someone asked where he got his intelligence, how would he answer?
"Upper Ranks?"
Little Red seemed startled. The Demon Slayer Corps hadn't encountered an Upper Rank in many years!
It also knew the importance of this information, so it immediately nodded and flew away.
"Phew. Next is how to report it, and then learning a few things from the Stone Hashira... After all, we both use Stone Breathing, so he should show some consideration."
Ryuji took a deep breath and tried to practice Stone Breathing: Total Concentration. As for Constant, he shouldn't think about that for now; it wasn't that easy.
"Add points, add points! Armament Haki!"
Ryuji excitedly said to the System in his heart. Why not add them to Kami-e? Mainly because it wouldn't form immediate combat power.
There wasn't much difference between a prototype and being on the verge of mastery. It was better to let Armament Haki reach entry-level; the boost it gave him would be greater. Moreover, Armament Haki could be coated onto a sword.
Didn't Zephyr say his blade broke easily? He would practice his swordsmanship more and then use Armament Haki to reinforce the weapon. Wouldn't that make it harder to break?
[Points added successfully! Consumed 100 practice Points.]
[Due to the host's continuous practice and the stroke of luck in having an instructional battle with Zephyr, you have witnessed incredibly powerful Armament Haki and gained a deeper understanding of it. Your Armament Haki has officially reached Entry Level!]
[Armament Haki (Entry Level): You can now maintain a stable coating for a long period to enhance the power of your fists. But beware, your Haki capacity is still limited. Use it wisely, rookie.]
Seeing the System's evaluation, Ryuji didn't take it to heart at all. The System was just like that. He simply clenched his right fist, and a familiar feeling wrapped around it!
Although he couldn't perform Hardening yet, he could already feel the sensation of the coating on his fist.
Ryuji looked around. "I choose you, Mr. Great Tree."
He exerted a bit of force underfoot and used a Stone Thrust to reach a large tree at the edge of the courtyard. The tree was quite large, about as thick as two people hugging.
He slammed a swing punch into the tree.
Bang!
Following a burst of sound, a large hole was instantly punched through the tree. The trunk could no longer support itself and began to fall toward Ryuji.
Ryuji relaxed his body, feeling the flow of the air currents, and dodged the falling tree as light as a piece of paper.
"It's okay, but I can't be distracted... I have to be fully invested. However, it probably won't be that easy to enter this state during a battle."
Ryuji was thinking when suddenly, the sound of a building collapsing came from behind him, causing his body to freeze instantly.
His neck moved with a clicking sound like a rusted machine.
Crap.