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Looks like they finally finished…
When I returned to my room that day, the atmosphere was almost the same as always. Dim lighting, Japanese aesthetics, the faint scent of green tea still lingering in the air. Everything familiar. Everything unchanged.
Almost. One new thing stood out immediately.
On one of the walls, there was now a massive double door with a technological design, resembling the entrance to a high-end laboratory. The smooth metal reflected the faint light of the room, and beside it, a card-lock waited silently for access.
I had hired a company to renovate the room, adding something specific.
So yes, I kind of decided to spend some of the money I earned from stocks. I mean, I do not know if "some" is exactly the right word.
My biggest investment there was that double door. Yes. Just the door.
Technically, it did not even make sense to install it there. On the other side of that wall should have been another student's bedroom. But it is not like things in this world make much sense anyway.
Beep.
I swiped the card. A short sound echoed, followed by a brief green light.
Tssk.
Fwoooosh.
The door opened automatically. And on the other side, there was no wall.
There was a massive white laboratory, far too vast to physically exist in that space. Tables and cabinets were perfectly aligned, cutting-edge scientific equipment spread throughout the room. The entire place smelled of chemicals, clean, sterile, professional.
Yes. I had built my own laboratory.
That door was actually a newly released type of dimensional storage. Unlike common models that stored only inanimate objects, this one created an entire room, accessible whenever the user wished.
As expected, it was not cheap.
The door alone cost around 75,000,000 U. The scientific equipment? Roughly another 25,000,000 U.
The strangest part was that it did not even hurt my wallet. I guess I really made too much money.
Anyway.
The reason I built this lab was simple. I intended to study alchemy in practice. After my lesson with Melissa, I ended up reading several books on the subject, and the more I read, the more interested I became.
And now, I think I am finally ready to complete her "homework."
Well, not exactly right now. I have a lesson scheduled with Melissa in twenty minutes.
But this time, I will be the one teaching.
Better not be late.
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This building feels bigger every day.
It did not take long to reach the dormitory where Melissa lived, or rather, her laboratory, since she almost never left it. Not that I was much different. I hated leaving my room too.
Shwoosh.
The automatic entrance doors slid open, and a wave of cold air from the air conditioning hit my face, relieving the heat outside.
Behind the reception desk, I spotted Rosie. Her expression immediately darkened when she saw me.
From there, it was the usual conversation.
Rosie would have jumped at my throat if it were remotely feasible. She seemed even more aggressive than last time, especially when I mentioned my scheduled appointment with Melissa.
In the end, though, she relented.
She handed me the access card with pure disgust.
I have a feeling her negative feelings might turn into a problem in the future.
Training Room 202.
After taking the elevator and walking down the corridors, I stopped in front of a massive reinforced steel double door. It looked infinitely sturdier than the regular lab doors.
Beep.
I swiped the card, and the door opened.
The extra protection made sense immediately.
A gigantic, state-of-the-art training hall revealed itself. Reinforced walls, training dummies, a full arsenal of various weapons, and even a gravity capsule.
But everything was empty.
Click.
I turned on the lights, and the hall was flooded with powerful illumination. Still, no one in sight.
Did she get delayed?
How ironic. The very person who always complained about my lateness.
There was nothing else to do.
I sat on one of the tables near the entrance. My legs, not quite reaching the floor, swung idly in the air.
I waited a few minutes. Nothing.
As boredom settled in, I found myself humming a song I liked.
The melody slipped out almost unconsciously.
Soft at first. Hesitant. As if I were testing whether the silence of the room would allow it.
It was simple and repetitive. Epona's Song.
The sound echoed gently between the empty tables, gliding along walls too bright for a place so deserted. My feet kept swaying, unconsciously marking the rhythm.
For a moment, the room no longer felt so large.
I kept humming, my eyes wandering aimlessly across the space, unaware that little by little, the silence was no longer alone.
The humming stopped mid-note.
Maybe I should play a bit…
Without thinking much, I reached for the ocarina hanging from my neck. It rested in my palm with a familiar, almost comforting weight. I brought it to my lips and took a deep breath.
The first note rang out, clear and pure.
Epona's Song was born there. My eyes closed instinctively, and the rest of the world simply ceased to matter.
The hall, the harsh lights, the waiting, everything dissolved.
♩♫♪… ♩♫♪… ♩♫♪♫♪
The melody flowed effortlessly, repeating in perfect cycles. My body swayed gently with the rhythm, as if following something invisible.
Time lost its weight. Minutes, maybe hours. It did not matter. Only the melody existed.
♩♫♪… ♩♫♪… ♩♫♪♫♪
My breathing adjusted to the notes. My mind emptied, entering a state of absolute focus. It was as if the music pulled me inside itself, note by note, until any sense of "now" completely disappeared.
But when I opened my eyes, I came face to face with a familiar figure standing at the entrance of the training hall.
Arms crossed. Posture far too relaxed for someone who had just arrived. Her gaze was strangely indifferent, almost evaluative.
"Hey… how long have you been standing there?"
I asked, hanging the ocarina back around my neck while remaining seated on the table.
"I just got here," Melissa replied as she stepped inside.
My eyes drifted toward the clock on the side wall.
Twenty minutes had passed. I really do lose all sense of time when I play.
"How ironic… you arriving late," I commented neutrally as I hopped down from the table.
"Do not start. Unlike you, I actually have things to do."
Melissa removed the heavy, stylish coat she was wearing, tossing it aside before dropping onto a nearby sofa. She let out a deep sigh, clearly exhausted, fanning her slightly sweaty face with her hand.
"Damn… is the air conditioning not working?"
She sank further into the sofa. It was obvious she had just come from an absurdly stressful meeting with sponsors for a recent project.
All she wanted was to rest.
Unfortunately, there was still unfinished business.
"I do not know. Is this not your place?"
This brat…
Melissa did not want to continue what she considered a complete waste of time. But she had made a deal, and she hated going back on her word.
"Ugh… fine. Let's just get this over with."
She stretched before standing up from the sofa.
"Although I am absolutely certain that an idiot like you has nothing to teach me."
"Never say never."
Yuto said, tossing a piece of chalk into the air and catching it effortlessly.
"Brat..."
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Yuto stood in front of the blackboard for a few seconds.
The chalk rested in his hand, but it was obvious he wasn't used to holding one.
Melissa watched from the workbench, arms crossed, her expression neutral. The same look she always wore when someone was about to waste her time.
"Alright… I'll try to explain this as directly as possible."
He turned to the board and wrote in simple letters:
BREATHING
Below it, he drew three arrows.
BODY — OXYGEN — MANA
"Most people learn magic starting here," he said, tapping the chalk against the word mana. "Core, conversion, psions. Store first, use later."
Melissa gave a small nod.
"That's the standard."
"Breathing techniques basically ignore that. They don't start with mana. They start with the body."
He circled the word body.
"Everyone has mana circulating naturally. A small amount. Slow. Passive. The core only exists to accumulate and convert it."
With a firm stroke, he drew a direct arrow from body to mana.
"I do the opposite. I accelerate the body… and the mana follows."
Melissa narrowed her eyes.
"A conduction?"
"Exactly."
He wrote beneath it:
BASE BREATHING
"Almost no one finds this part interesting. But it's the most important."
He sketched a simple diagram of lungs and diaphragm.
"Base breathing doesn't create psions. It doesn't generate elements. It just prepares the body."
"Prepare how?" Melissa interrupted.
Yuto glanced at her.
"Increased lung capacity. Better circulation. Controlled internal pressure. Without that, any named breathing technique will just injure you."
He wrote the sequence:
INHALE — HOLD — EXHALE
"This isn't symbolic. It's mechanical."
He tapped the board.
"A deep inhale increases oxygenation."
"Holding creates internal pressure."
"A controlled exhale distributes that pressure."
Melissa began taking notes.
"So it's continuous physical enhancement…" she concluded.
"Yes. Base breathing alone already makes someone stronger, more resilient, with greater stamina."
He paused briefly.
"But that's not the final goal."
He erased part of the board and wrote more firmly:
NAMED BREATHING TECHNIQUES
"These are different. Each one uses a specific pattern to create resonance."
Melissa looked up.
"Resonance between what?"
Yuto wrote:
OXYGEN + MANA + MOVEMENT
"It forces the circulating mana to vibrate in a specific pattern. That vibration makes the mana surge through the body at high speed, generating elemental psions."
He tossed the chalk into the air and caught it casually.
"Now… what happens to all that converted mana inside the body?"
The question barely lingered.
"It manifests in the strike," Melissa murmured almost instantly.
"Exactly."
She crossed her arms again.
"Then why isn't this taught?"
If this truly allowed someone to use magic without relying on a core, it was an absurd discovery. Melissa knew how to recognize something that sounded too good to be true. She was already waiting for the flaw.
Yuto took his time answering.
"Because it doesn't work for everyone. Base breathing is universal. The named techniques aren't."
He rested the chalk against the board.
"Each one requires specific talents. Fine control. Dexterity. Flexibility. Rhythm. That's why it's rare for someone to master more than one."
Melissa understood far too quickly.
"So this isn't a system. It's a set of paths."
"Exactly. And choosing the wrong path only leads to failure."
He set the chalk down.
"But today isn't about that. Today is just the foundation."
Melissa closed her notebook.
"Then teach me."
They positioned themselves face to face in the center of the laboratory.
"First… posture."
He adjusted his own stance. Feet aligned. Knees slightly bent. Spine straight.
"Don't force it. Just let the body be ready to expand."
Melissa mirrored him precisely.
"Now inhale through your nose. Slowly. Four counts."
She inhaled.
"Don't lift your chest. Expand your abdomen," he corrected.
She tried again. The air flowed better this time.
"Hold for one count. Just one."
Her diaphragm tightened.
"Now release… six counts. Controlled."
She exhaled.
By the third cycle, something changed. The air felt… heavy.
"Again. Steady rhythm."
By the fifth cycle, Melissa frowned.
"My lungs are… burning."
"Normal. Stop if it turns into pain. Continue if it's just pressure."
She continued.
Her heart sped up, but in a strange, stable way. Her body grew warmer. More alert.
"Can you feel it?" Yuto asked.
"The blood flow… it's faster," she replied without opening her eyes.
Yuto smiled faintly.
"That's base breathing working."
Melissa slowly opened her eyes.
"This… isn't magic."
"It never was."
She took another deep breath.
And for the first time since the contract began, Melissa didn't feel like she was learning something old under a new name.
She felt like she was opening a door no one else had seen.
Melissa maintained the rhythm for several more cycles.
Inhale. Hold. Exhale.
Her body responded better than she expected. The air went deeper. Her chest expanded with increasing ease. The heaviness gave way to a steady warmth spreading through her muscles.
"You're improving," Yuto commented. "But you're—"
She tried to correct herself.
Adjusted her posture. Increased the hold time. Forced more control than necessary.
"Melissa, don't—"
Too late.
The air sat too high in her lungs. Her diaphragm locked for a nearly imperceptible second… but it was enough.
The world spun.
"everything is spinning—"
Her legs gave out.
Yuto moved on pure reflex.
One step forward.
An open palm strike to her back.
PAH.
The air burst out of Melissa's lungs in an uncontrolled blast.
"Ghah—!"
She stumbled, clutching her chest, breathing far too fast now, desperately trying to regain rhythm.
"What was that?!" she exploded once she managed to pull in enough air.
Yuto raised his hands defensively.
"You were about to faint."
"You hit me!"
"Technically, I unlocked you."
"I did not authorize you to—"
"You trapped the air too high," he cut in, pointing. "Your diaphragm locked. If I hadn't done that, you would've face-planted."
Melissa breathed deeply, trying to stabilize herself, clearly torn between anger… and the uncomfortable fact that he was right.
"You should've warned me," she growled.
"I tried. You didn't listen."
She opened her mouth to retort, but stopped.
She inhaled slowly.
This time correctly.
Her body responded almost immediately.
"I pushed too hard," she admitted reluctantly.
"You pushed control," Yuto corrected. "Base breathing isn't about domination. It's about letting it happen."
She shot him a lethal glare.
"Don't you dare turn that into a metaphor."
"It's not a metaphor. It's mechanics."
She scoffed.
"You should tell people they might pass out."
"I did. I just didn't specify when."
Silence.
Then Melissa crossed her arms.
"Do it again," she ordered. "Without the slapping."
"Deal. But if you lock up again—"
"I won't."
…
She did.
Not as badly as before, but the rhythm began slipping.
"Release," Yuto said firmly. "Now."
She obeyed.
The air left at the right time. Her body readjusted. The dizziness faded. Melissa remained standing, breathing hard… but stable.
"…It works," she murmured.
"It works when you stop trying to be perfect," he replied.
"I hate when you're right."
Yuto smirked.
"It happens often."
She stepped toward him.
"Say that again."
"Probably not a good idea," he replied, already backing away.
For a few seconds, the lab fell silent.
Then Melissa returned to her starting posture.
"Again."
Yuto nodded.
"That's how you learn."
As she resumed breathing, now in the correct rhythm, Yuto watched quietly.
She learns far too fast.
It was almost unsettling. Melissa truly lived up to her reputation as a genius. Without a doubt, she would be capable of mastering a named breathing technique… perhaps even more than one.
But that would be for another lesson.
By the end of the session, Melissa looked genuinely exhausted despite not having moved from her spot. A clear sign the training had been effective.
Yuto then retrieved an item from Ouroboros storage and tossed it toward her. Melissa, wiping sweat with a towel, caught it effortlessly.
"What is this?" she asked, examining it.
"Homework."
The object was a brown gourd, a little over twenty centimeters long, sturdy in appearance.
"…And what exactly am I supposed to do with this?"
"Destroy it from the inside out. Using nothing but oxygen."
…
Silence.
…
"You've got to be kidding me."
Melissa finally declared, tossing the gourd aside.
"How is that even remotely possible?"
She treated it like a ridiculous joke. Maybe petty revenge for the assignment she had given him last lesson.
But Yuto wasn't joking.
"Impossible, right?" he said. "Good."
He retrieved another item from storage.
A gourd twice the size of hers.
Yuto brought his mouth to the opening.
Melissa frowned, confused at first… then a faint smirk appeared. Clearly, he was about to faint and embarrass himself.
She crossed her arms and watched... But she didn't even have time to enjoy it.
POOW.
The gourd exploded instantly, a sharp crack echoing as fragments scattered across the room.
To Melissa, it felt like everything happened in slow motion.
"Don't project your limits onto others," Yuto said calmly. "I think you're still underestimating breathing techniques."
…
…
She had no response.
"Tch. Whatever," Melissa muttered, looking away. "What's the deadline?"
"Next lesson."
"What? That's way too—"
She was about to complain… then remembered she had done exactly the same to him last class.
Her expression darkened. Arms crossed. Hypocrisy swallowed.
Her mood visibly worsened.
"I think that's enough for today," Yuto said, checking the time. "I'll get going."
"Don't let the door hit you on the way out."
"Have a nice day too, Melissa."
Yuto left through the double doors, leaving the training room in silence. Melissa remained seated on the floor for a few minutes.
Then she sighed deeply.
How humiliating…
First the delay. Now the damn gourd.
Technically, she hadn't been that late. A meeting had run long. She arrived only five minutes past the scheduled time. That wasn't the real issue.
She had spent fifteen minutes standing outside the door… listening to an ocarina melody. She could claim she'd barely been late. But admitting that would be even more humiliating.
In the end, it didn't matter.
She had work to do now.
Including a very annoying piece of homework.