Suzuki Makoto gripped Senjuro Rengoku's shoulder, guiding the boy, who was too shocked to know what to do, behind him. With his other hand, he struck the middle of the man's blade with his sheathed Nichirin Blade, forcibly pushing him into the courtyard.
Willpower can overcome many things, but it cannot overcome objective facts. Although the long period of neglect hadn't made Shinjuro Rengoku forget how to fight, the decline in his physical strength and speed was not something that could be erased by anger alone.
"Is this the extent of your rage? It seems Flame Breathing doesn't grow stronger with anger. No wonder you're so dejected. After all, faced with your own mediocrity, you probably have no idea how to face a son whose talent far surpasses your own, do you?"
"What do you know!"
Shinjuro Rengoku roared in fury.
"Of course I'm mediocre, but do you think you aren't?! Flame Breathing, Wind Breathing—they are all just derivatives of the original Breathing Style! Only Sun Breathing is the one true Breathing Style! The ones who can be called heaven's chosen are just a handful of people! We are all just foils! We're weeds! We're just trash who can't change a thing no matter how hard we try!"
Suzuki Makoto calmly continued to exchange blows with the man, recording his opponent's forms while carefully contemplating what Shinjuro Rengoku had just said.
From the sound of it, he seemed to know about Sun Breathing, and perhaps even who the original user of Sun Breathing was. His downfall wasn't just due to his wife's passing; it was also because the realization of the immense gap between Flame Breathing and Sun Breathing had dealt a massive blow to his entire perception of the world, leading to his subsequent decline.
What an unexpected surprise.
Just as Suzuki Makoto's mind was wandering, Shinjuro Rengoku was already starting to pant heavily. This was the first time he had truly realized how much he had regressed over the years.
But—this brat! He would make him pay!
"Flame Breathing, Ninth Form—"
The man didn't get to finish his words. Suzuki Makoto's scabbard had already tapped lightly on his heart, instantly dispersing the condensed lifeblood and ki. Before he could utter another word, he had already passed out.
Suzuki Makoto had already memorized the First through Eighth Forms. The moment his opponent began to execute the Ninth Form, he realized something was wrong. This technique, much like Thunder Breathing's First Form, was a life-or-death move. Given Shinjuro Rengoku's current physical state, forcibly gathering his lifeblood and ki to use this form would likely cause irreparable damage to his heart.
The spar was just a means to an end, not meant to be truly fatal.
Suzuki Makoto turned to look at the stunned Senjuro Rengoku, a rare, embarrassed expression on his face.
He had originally thought he could leave after this fight, so he hadn't bothered trying to build a good relationship. But now, not only had the man failed to demonstrate the Ninth Form, but he had also vaguely revealed that he knew some detailed information about Sun Breathing. This made it a bit difficult for Suzuki Makoto to leave.
But having just taunted the father in front of his son, and even knocking him unconscious... trying to reconcile with the Rengoku family now seemed a bit laughable, didn't it?
"My apologies, Senjuro. I was a bit too agitated earlier and said many things I shouldn't have, and... uh, I struck your father."
He helped the unconscious Shinjuro Rengoku up with the utmost sincerity.
Senjuro finally snapped out of it and hurried over to help Suzuki Makoto carry his father back to the main room and lay him down.
"Actually... I'm somewhat grateful to you. Even an angry father is more reassuring to me than the father he was."
The young boy knelt on the floor, his expression downcast.
"However, my mother passed away from an illness, not because of my father."
"I'm very sorry for mentioning your mother. I had no intention of disrespecting the dead."
Suzuki Makoto bowed.
"When your father wakes up, I will offer him a sincere apology as well."
--------------------------------------------------
The man's eyes fluttered open in a daze, and he instantly felt a tearing pain throughout his body.
"Ah—"
"Father! You're awake!"
Senjuro Rengoku quickly ran in from outside, dropping the broom in his hand and rushing to his father's side, asking with a nervous expression.
"How are you feeling? Are you injured anywhere?"
"That brat... is he gone?"
Shinjuro Rengoku knew his pain was merely from not having fought so intensely for a long time and sensed that his body wasn't actually injured. He was just concerned about that guy.
"Do you mean Mr. Suzuki? I've prepared a guest room for him. He said he wants to wait for you to wake up to apologize."
The man pressed his lips together.
"Senjuro, go get him."
"Yes."
When Suzuki Makoto walked into the main room, he was met by the man's intense stare.
"I am truly sorry, Lord Shinjuro Rengoku. I offended you and your wife earlier. I offer you my sincerest apologies."
"You said you want to learn Flame Breathing? Why come to me and not Kyojuro?"
"Lord Kyojuro Rengoku is currently tracking a certain demon and has no time to teach me for the moment."
"What about that letter."
Suzuki Makoto took out the letter of recommendation, which Senjuro took and handed to his father.
Opening the letter, Shinjuro Rengoku's pupils contracted sharply. He snapped his head up to look at Suzuki Makoto.
"You want to learn all the Breathing Styles?"
"Yes. In the ancient texts at the Ubuyashiki Estate, I read records concerning Sun Breathing, which state that all current Breathing Styles are derived from Sun Breathing. Therefore, I began to wonder if it would be possible to reverse-engineer Sun Breathing by learning and mastering the five primary styles: Wind, Flame, Water, Thunder, and Stone."
Suzuki Makoto laid out his intentions completely. Since the man hadn't come after him with a sword immediately upon waking up, it proved that talking might actually be effective.
Shinjuro Rengoku fell into a long silence.
Perhaps his own despair seemed unbearable in the eyes of the other. A boy's reaction to learning of Sun Breathing was to find a way to reverse-engineer it—and what about himself?
The man's aura instantly shifted. Even Senjuro could feel the change in his father.
"How many Breathing Styles have you learned?"
"I've finished learning the breathing techniques and forms for Wind, Water, Thunder, and Stone. The only thing left is your Flame Breathing, and I have yet to learn its Ninth Form."
"You've learned Flame Breathing too? Didn't you say Kyojuro had no time to teach you?"
"I learned it during our spar last night. The Ninth Form you were about to use was more than your body could handle at the time, which is why I interrupted your technique."
Shinjuro Rengoku really wanted to take back the fighting spirit he had just mustered.
Geniuses... I really hate them.
_____
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