“Kanzaki-san, how did you do it?
Did you really learn it just by glancing at Senior Sister Makomo’s moves?”
Despite being exhausted from training, Sabito still looked at Kanzaki Kumo like a curious toddler.
It was only because he lacked the strength right now; otherwise, Kanzaki Kumo felt the boy would have leaned right into his face.
“My eyes are special; I can see every movement of a target clearly and remember every detail.
All I need to do is replicate them and practice until I’m proficient.
Just as Senior Urokodaki said, I can enter the gate quickly this way, but I lack the core.
It can only be considered as possessing the ‘form,’ while the’spirit’ contained within the sword strikes requires guidance from others or extra time spent trying to comprehend it myself.”
Since he had nothing else to do, Kanzaki Kumo began chatting with Sabito.
“That’s still incredible.
Just learning the movements of the sword strikes is a huge struggle for us.” Sabito recalled the month since he and Giyuu had joined Urokodaki Sakonji’s tutelage; they hadn’t even fully learned the movements for all ten forms of Water Breathing yet.
“I noticed your practice movements earlier.
Actually, your talent isn’t bad at all; your entry is just a bit slower than mine, but you’ve already surpassed most people.”
Kanzaki Kumo was just telling the truth.
When he first arrived, the two were practicing the movements of Water Breathing, First Form.
It happened to be the technique he had learned from Makomo, so he could naturally see their foundation.
Regarding this single move, their level of mastery wasn’t actually inferior to Kanzaki Kumo’s.
“Moreover, I’m only relying on these eyes to enter the gate faster.
When it comes to truly mastering them, I might not necessarily be faster than you.”
After all, the only technique he had truly comprehended entirely on his own so far was Thunderclap and Flash, which had taken quite a bit of time.
It was also because he understood this move himself that Kanzaki Kumo’s mastery of Thunder Breathing truly reached a level of proficiency where he could use it with ease and grasp its essence.
“How could that be?
I heard Master Urokodaki say earlier that you’ve already mastered Total Concentration Breathing: Constant.
I’ve only just touched the threshold of Water Breathing.”
“I’ve been studying for over a year longer than you guys, okay?” Kanzaki Kumo suddenly understood how Kuwajima Jigorō must have felt when Kumo was acting humble-braggingly in front of him back then.
Entering the gate in just one month—even for Water Breathing, which had the lowest threshold—this level of talent was already very strong.
Furthermore, for someone like Sabito, who grasped the essence first and then familiarized himself with the moves, the speed of cultivation after entering the gate would only get faster and faster.
Kanzaki Kumo had only reversed this order by relying on his powerful vision.
Breathing Techniques and their corresponding sword strikes require a true comprehension of their essence to unleash the full power of the moves.
The rules of this world prioritized intent first, technique second, and finally pure strength.
That was why, in the original story, even shortly before Kamado Tanjuro passed away when his body was incredibly weak, he could still instantly behead a three-meter-tall giant bear.
If strength was too low, no matter how strong other aspects were, they could not be fully utilized.
“Speaking of which, Kanzaki-san, how old are you this year?” Mentioning the cultivation time, Sabito couldn’t resist asking the question he had been curious about from the start.
Even Giyuu, who was brooding on the side, turned his head to look.
After all, Kanzaki Kumo’s appearance was truly a bit too young.
“I’ll be fourteen in a while.
I should be about the same as you?”
*Hiss—*
“We, who have already turned fourteen, seem a bit pathetic now…” Sabito said, exchanging a glance with Giyuu.
They had both turned fourteen one after another a few days ago.
“By that logic, should I, who am already fifteen, find a hole to crawl into?” Makomo walked into the room carrying dishes, having overheard the conversation.
“Um…” Sabito, still in a state of surprise, subconsciously nodded under Giyuu’s astonished gaze.
He immediately realized something was wrong, but it was too late.
Makomo set down the dishes and strode over to Sabito’s side, her small hand pinching his ear, forcing him to give up his lounging posture.
“Ow, ow, ow—Senior Sister, I was wrong!
Let go, it hurts, hurts, hurts!”
“Hmph!
Go wash your hands, quickly.” Makomo snorted and let go.
She hadn’t actually used much force.
Although they had only spent about twenty days together before she went to Fujikasane Mountain for the Final Selection, she was still very protective of these two junior brothers.
Seeing Sabito get up, Makomo called out to Giyuu as well: “Giyuu, get up and eat.”
“Oh.”
This was the first word Giyuu had spoken since Kanzaki Kumo met him.
Only then did Makomo shift her gaze to Kanzaki Kumo.
Remembering her actions just now, she wondered if she had left a violent impression on him.
“Xiao Kumo, wash your hands too and get ready to eat.”
“Okay, Boss Makomo.” Kanzaki Kumo said, smiling and winking at Makomo.
“You—”
Makomo raised her hand as if to strike, but Kanzaki Kumo had already slipped away to the outdoor sink.
Sabito and Giyuu followed closely behind, with the former giving Kanzaki Kumo a thumbs-up.
Dinner was sumptuous and tasted very good.
Although it was a bit impolite to say this about his own Old Man, Kanzaki Kumo felt that Urokodaki Sakonji’s cooking was slightly better than Kuwajima Jigorō’s.
Kuwajima: If you know it’s impolite, then don’t say it, you Brat!
After dinner, everyone prepared for bed.
In this era of scarce entertainment, and deep in the mountains at that, there was no nightlife to speak of.
Just as Kanzaki Kumo had taken off his outer coat in the guest room, there was a knock on the door.
He put his coat back on and opened the door to find Makomo standing there.
“Is something the matter?” Kanzaki Kumo was a bit puzzled.
Normally, a girl knocking on a boy’s door in the middle of the night might spark some imagination, but at their current ages, there wasn’t much to imagine.
“Um…
well, I wanted to ask for your help, Xiao Kumo.” Makomo looked at Kanzaki Kumo and spoke hesitantly.
Kanzaki Kumo just watched her quietly, waiting for her to continue.
“You’ve probably noticed it too, right?
Giyuu is a bit too taciturn.
He’s been like this ever since Master Urokodaki brought him back.
Sabito and I have made many attempts, but we haven’t been able to make him change…”
“So, you want me to help wake up that withdrawn child?”
“Um…
yes!” Although it was the first time Makomo had heard the term “withdrawn” used this way, she quickly understood its meaning and nodded immediately.
“Because I noticed you seem very good at making friends.
You haven’t been here long, and you’re already talking and laughing with Sabito…”
Makomo’s voice grew smaller and smaller.
She knew she was acting a bit desperate, but she had to try.
Kanzaki Kumo gave her a very special feeling; she believed that if it were him, perhaps he really could do something or change something.
“I’ll give it a try, but I can’t guarantee results.” Looking into Makomo’s large, watery eyes, Kanzaki Kumo ultimately couldn’t bring himself to refuse.
“But before that, shouldn’t you tell me a bit about Giyuu’s past?
At least let me know why he became like this.”
“Yes, as far as I know…”
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
“And If you’re enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!”