Chapter 30: The Electric-Thorn Dojo
After wrapping up his Stone Breathing training, Natsuya set off for the location of his third Cultivator.
This time, he was here to learn the fastest of the five basic styles: Thunder Breathing.
The one responsible for teaching him was a tall woman named Nikaido Mei.
She looked to be in her early thirties. She wore a simple black eyepatch over her right eye, while her left eye was a piercing pale blue.
According to her, she had a quarter British blood flowing through her veins.
However, Natsuya couldn't find a trace of a "British Lady" in her.
His first impression of her was that of a coiled panther.
Agile, dangerous, and wild.
She carried herself with a roguish, unconventional swagger. Even though she was retired and serving as a Cultivator, she still wore the Demon Slayer uniform.
But it was heavily modified: sleeves ripped off at the shoulders, belt replaced with a rough rope.
She made no effort to hide her toned arms, covered in a map of old and new scars and tattoos. Or her rock-hard abs, which even Natsuya had to admire.
But most importantly...
Her teaching style was what Natsuya would call "excessively pragmatic," or perhaps just plain violent.
When he first entered the Electric-Thorn Dojo...
The place was covered in scaffolding and looked like it was under renovation.
In front of the dojo, the woman who looked like the master was shouting orders at a group of disciples carrying lumber and pounding foundations. It looked less like a Kendo dojo and more like a construction site.
Natsuya handed over Kazami's recommendation letter. She glanced at it for less than a minute before tossing it onto a pile of wood.
"So you're the brat trained by that old fossil Kazami? And you played the good boy for Urokodaki? And then went to bang rocks with that stubborn stone-head Matsuyama?"
She spoke fast, her knee bouncing constantly. She looked exactly like a Yakuza boss.
Before Natsuya could respond, he realized this woman was not normal.
Because the next second, she attacked.
Nikaido drew the Nichirin Sword at her waist in a reverse grip and slashed straight at his face without warning!
"Let's see your 'capacity'! Show me what makes you think you're qualified to learn the 'Fastest' Breathing Style!"
She's crazy!
Her nameplate is green (Friendly NPC), and we have no grudge! Why is she drawing a live blade on sight?!
Natsuya's expression changed. He immediately triggered Wind Breathing to parry.
"Wind Breathing..."
"First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter!"
Seeing Natsuya activate his Breathing Style, the woman's grin widened into something savage.
"Thunder Breathing..."
"Fifth Form: Heat Lightning!"
The whirlwind had just begun to form when it was intercepted by a faster, more violent thunderbolt.
Her speed was far above his.
"Too slow!"
The female swordsman didn't retreat or change stance. Relying on her taller, stronger frame, she pressed Natsuya—sword and all—against the dojo wall.
Although Natsuya managed to use leverage to break free from the lightning strike, she clearly had no intention of stopping.
When Natsuya looked back...
The tall Cultivator had already assumed the stance for her next move.
Her body was pressed low. So low her face was almost touching the ground.
Iaijutsu!
Lightning exploded.
The blade seemed wrapped in golden electricity, illuminating the dim dojo for an instant.
Her long, muscular legs acted like hidden thrusters, propelling her forward with terrifying speed.
It wasn't just a sword technique. It was a bolt of lightning that split his vision.
"Thunder Breathing..."
"First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!"
I can't block this.
Natsuya's pupils shrank. He gathered all his strength into a single point.
[Total Concentration!]
The unpredictability of Wind.
The fluidity of Water.
The stability of Stone.
The essence of his past training surged forth, triggering almost simultaneously with the System's bright red [Attack Warning].
He barely sidestepped.
The blade sheared off a lock of his hair.
Natsuya felt a cold breeze brush his ear. If he hadn't dodged, it might not have killed him, but he definitely would have lost a chunk of his face.
Suddenly, Natsuya saw the look in her eye.
It wasn't killing intent. It was a heavy, almost scorching expectation.
"Master Mei! What are you doing?!"
Natsuya shouted while parrying her relentless follow-up attacks.
Instead, his protest only fueled her excitement. He even saw a flush of adrenaline-induced red appear on her cheeks.
"Testing your skills, of course! HAHAHA! They say you're strong, so naturally, you can survive this!"
"See? You took that strike! Good! Very capable!"
Clang! Clang!
More sparks flew as Natsuya desperately blocked.
The disciples nearby were scared witless, retreating to a safe distance. One young boy whispered, "Sensei... she's gone crazy again..."
Nikaido ignored them completely. She accelerated her blade, pressing Natsuya harder.
"Besides! Didn't you come here to learn Thunder Breathing?!"
"The best way to learn is full-contact combat! How can you fight without bleeding?! How can you get stronger without bleeding?!"
"Listen up, Hachiguruma Nishitaro! Brat! Watch my chest! Breathe with me!"
"I, Nikaido, am going to teach you a lesson! HAHAHAHA!"
Watch your chest?!
With that distraction, how am I supposed to learn anything?!
Natsuya struggled to tear his eyes away from her... ample lung capacity.
"Show some spine! Where's your grit?!"
"Fancy moves! Are you chopping firewood?!"
"Not bad! Your body is pretty tough, brat!"
She didn't seem to be holding back.
After several minutes of high-pressure assault, Natsuya's stamina began to drop, and his form started to break down.
But...
The Thunder Breathing progress bar is actually going up?!
Between parries, Natsuya saw his proficiency meter filling at a rate he hadn't expected.
Fine! You crazy woman!
Let's dance!
The next second, Natsuya switched from defense to offense. He merged his silhouette into the storm, turning into a whirlwind of blades.
"Oh?"
The excitement and mockery in her single eye remained, but now, a glint of genuine interest appeared.
"Finally looking like a swordsman..."
"Good! Let me measure just how long your 'ability' lasts! Don't turn out to be a silver-tipped wax spear, Goguruma Natsutaro!"
"I won't go easy on you like those other idiots did!"
"Don't cry when you lose!"
This woman talks so much trash...
It actually gave Natsuya a sense of nostalgia. It reminded him of the extreme toxicity of random players in online lobbies.
Except most toxic players were all talk and no skill. This woman had the strength to back up her arrogance and potty mouth.
She's strong.
Thunder roared, clashing once again with the wild wind Natsuya summoned.
Late that night. On the roof of the dojo.
Nikaido sat with Natsuya, chatting loudly without a care for the sleeping disciples below.
"Don't worry about the little scuffle earlier! A man should have thicker skin!"
She slapped Natsuya's back heartily and tossed him a bottle of shochu.
The mixed-blood swordswoman teased, "Don't give me that 'I'm underage' excuse! Drink!"
Natsuya sighed and opened the bottle. The sharp scent of alcohol mixed with the night breeze.
"Senior... your teaching methods are certainly unique."
Nikaido heard the sarcasm but ignored it. She patted the Nichirin Sword by her side, the scabbard clinking against the roof tiles.
She grinned. "What? Can't handle a little pressure? And you say you want to kill all the demons? Kill Muzan?"
She raised a finger and tapped the black eyepatch covering her right eye.
Where a beautiful blue eye should have been, there was only a lifeless patch covering a scar too large to hide.
In the darkness, her smile faded slightly.
"Whether it's the Twelve Kizuki or the Demon King... their claws and Blood Demon Arts are far sharper than my blade."
"If you can't even handle my 'enthusiasm,' how do you expect to fight them?"
Can you compare a Red-Name Boss to a Green-Name NPC? Natsuya thought.
He took a small sip and probed, "So... you really don't have a grudge against Master Kazami?"
"Of course not!"
She grinned, her white teeth flashing in the moonlight.
"That old scholar who looks like a stiff breeze could knock him over? I don't hate him. I just think his teaching methods are outdated."
"He teaches Breathing Styles like he's lecturing on Sengoku-era history."
"By the time he finishes his theory, the demons will have died of old age!"
"Sure, it builds a solid foundation. But how long do Slayers live anyway? Instead of letting a talented brat like you die of boredom learning basics, I'd rather beat it into you."
"Fight enough, and your body will learn Thunder Breathing on its own."
Chugging sake and spewing profanity.
Truly a manly woman, Natsuya thought.
☆☆☆
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