Chapter 63: Tuning the Breath
The constant clack-clack of wooden swords echoed through the courtyard as the three juniors launched one attack after another, only to find their strikes missing by a hair's breadth every single time.
Compared to yesterday's suffocating, high-intensity sparring, today was focused on "guidance"—or rather, meticulous micro-adjustments.
It was taking them a while to adjust to the change in pace. Their bodies didn't hurt as much as they expected, though that might have been because the "Demon Instructor" had personally treated their wounds with his high-tier ointments the night before.
They had been at it for two hours, and not one of them had been floored yet.
Natsuya's agenda for today was "Breath Tuning." While they fought, he observed the "Logical Inconsistencies" in how they circulated their oxygen.
The moment Dojima whiffed a strike and stepped back to catch his breath, Natsuya's foot snapped out, pinning Dojima's instep to the ground and sending the swordsman stumbling.
"You're too impatient! Your breathing and your power-burst frames are completely desynced!"
"You aren't practicing the Divergent Fist here; there's no room for delayed impact."
"When the rhythm and the strike are disconnected, your DPS drops. Slow your lungs down!"
When Kojiro's form grew heavy and sluggish at the end of a combo, Natsuya slapped his wrist, nearly sending the wooden sword flying.
"Leaving reserve strength is a good habit, but only if the breath stays steady. Can't you hear the static in your own lungs?"
"Your blade is sloppy, and you lack the fluidity of Water. Inhale... then exhale slowly, just like I do with my Water Breathing."
"Wait, you idiot! Use your core! Focus the power in your abdomen!"
As for Seiko, Natsuya used minimal movement to slip past her every slash.
"Seiko, you're a Water-user, not Flame or Thunder! Your intent is too obvious!"
"You have to learn to sense the Momentum of your breath and let the sword follow it!"
"It's about flow, not raw strength!"
"Don't let all your air out like a bellows just to power one move! Keep half of it in your chest and let the rest circulate."
Natsuya's observations were clinical and comprehensive. Because he was currently touching the "Source Code" of the Breathing mechanics, his understanding far surpassed that of a standard Cultivator.
A standard Cultivator's technique might be more polished or more "Textbook," but it was exactly that Textbook Standard that limited most Slayers.
Everyone's [Mind], [Body], and [Tech] stats were different. There shouldn't be a "Standard Answer." In a perfect world, a thousand swordsmen should have a thousand unique breathing rhythms.
But in reality, the Corps only offered five "Standard Builds." Which one a Slayer got was usually down to RNG and whatever Cultivator they happened to find.
Regardless of whether it fit them, Slayers were forced to follow the traditional path of their masters.
Natsuya, however, was treating their existing "Answer Sheets" as a base and applying delicate micro-adjustments. He wasn't giving them a perfect "Speedster + Tank" hybrid build yet, but he was certainly giving them something better than the default settings.
He used his eyes to catch the "Stuttering Frames" in their movements.
He used his hearing to identify the "Off-beat Rhythms" in their lungs.
He used his body and words to guide the "Logic" of their kinetic flow.
Natsuya would intentionally slow down his attack speed whenever Dojima hit a recovery frame, pressing forward to force Dojima's body to naturally compress its breathing cycle to regenerate stamina faster.
He pressured Kojiro with a relentless flurry of light attacks, giving him no time to "think" about the next move, forcing him to rely on pure, instinctual continuity.
No gaps between forms. No hesitation in the breath. Water is constant.
And when facing Seiko's linear, predictable slashes, Natsuya didn't force her to fit the "Water Meta." After a moment of thought, he tried a different approach. He sidestepped her blade and gave her a gentle push, manually guiding her breathing into a sharper, more surgical direction.
From a flat, meandering stream to a sharp, high-pressure jet that sought out weak points.
Unknowingly, a chill entered her breath—a hidden current of freezing winter water.
All three swordsmen felt it. Their Breathing Styles were changing.
Natsuya was "modding" them, but simultaneously, he was using them as test subjects to verify his own theories. The more samples he had, the clearer his own path became.
The following days followed the same pattern.
Sometimes it was Natsuya's "Hellish Boot Camp" sessions. Sometimes, when one of them was away on a mission, Natsuya would arrange 2-on-1 sparring matches. Other times, it was just Natsuya alone, deep in his own cultivation.
The results of his coaching began to reflect clearly on his HUD.
In just over a week, the trio's stats had all jumped by several points. Seiko's Power Level was now rapidly approaching the 70 mark.
Natsuya frequently pulled up their comparison charts. He noticed that as long as he actively interacted with them through "Experience Sharing" or "Instruction," their proficiency gain for Breathing Styles was significantly higher than when they trained alone.
He calculated the buff at roughly +10%.
This must be the effect of [Mentorship LV.1], Natsuya thought.
And it wasn't just a flat XP buff. Occasionally, a "Critical Event" would occur.
Once, after a session of extreme physical conditioning that left Kojiro nearly unconscious, Natsuya forced him to perform one last set of Total Concentration breaths. Kojiro finished it while his consciousness was practically leaving his body, and Natsuya saw the man's stats take a massive leap.
His [Body] and [Mind] increased by a total of five points in one go.
Normally, a full day of bitter training might not even yield one point.
So, my [Mentorship] skill doesn't just buff the grind... it has a proc-rate for 'Critical Breakthroughs'.
While Natsuya was calculating his skill mechanics, the Arashibashira, Igarashi Uzen, sat on an old wooden bench at the edge of the training yard.
A book was spread across his lap, and a cup of steaming coffee was in his hand. He looked like a serene painting. Whenever he had a spare moment, he would come to watch his Junior Brother's training—and how he handled his "Grand-Disciples."
Natsuya's progress had exceeded all of Igarashi's expectations. Looking at the way the light and shadow shifted around Natsuya in the yard, Igarashi could tell the boy had touched the edge of Logic.
Even his own Storm Breathing had been unknowingly mastered by the boy.
What remained now was the long, slow grind of persistent refinement.
Perhaps... I can start preparing him for the final stage of my instruction, Igarashi thought. After that, I'll send him to the Rengoku family in Tokyo for the final polish.
The only thing he had left to teach was [Total Concentration: Constant].
Constant...
Igarashi wondered how long it had taken him to reach that realm.
He took a slow sip of his coffee. It was a cup Natsuya had ground and brewed for him. The flavor wasn't world-class, but for a beginner, it was surprisingly good. Even though they were just ordinary beans, the coffee felt special.
A small cloud of steam rose, fogging up Igarashi's glasses.
He found himself thinking about Natsuya. The boy's energy seemed bottomless. Despite his own grueling schedule, he found the time to meticulously guide others and even learned how to brew coffee just to help his Senior Brother relax.
What a thoughtful, warm-hearted child... Igarashi thought, his heart swelling with a rare warmth.
He drank slowly. To him, this cup of coffee tasted richer and more fragrant than any he had ever had before.
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