The long-awaited moment has finally arrived!
To prove that my numerous training methods were not in vain! To uphold the grand ideals of disciple cultivation! To achieve total physical overhaul!
Kazama-ryu Headquarters Dojo! I HAVE RETURNED!!
...Alright, let's stop thinking ridiculous anime catchphrases. For some reason, right after that phrase popped into my head, I had a sudden vision of the dojo being blown to smithereens.
Setting that aside... wow, this is truly nostalgic. After being away for nearly fourteen years, a wave of deep sentimentality washed over me. Spending nearly a third of my past 132-year lifespan here naturally makes this place feel like home.
It hasn't changed much at all. A magnificent dojo built in traditional classical Japon architecture.
Still, having been built over sixty years ago, the wood has aged gracefully, and a few posts on the main gate showed fresh carpentry patches. It looks identical at a glance, yet the subtle passage of time is unmistakable.
A faint pang of melancholy brushed against my chest.
"Whoa... So this is the headquarters of Kazama-ryu? It's huge!" Killua marveled.
"Yeah, look at that main gate! And the training halls in the back are enormous!" Gon agreed.
"I've read that nearly one thousand live-in disciples train here simultaneously. The compound covers a massive area," Kurapika noted.
"One thousand?! That's incredible!"
Fufufu. Hearing them praise the dojo felt like being praised myself. Keep the compliments coming! My cheeks are practically glowing.
"Currently, across all international branch dojos combined, there are over one hundred thousand active practitioners worldwide. It is said that no martial artist in the world is unfamiliar with the name Kazama-ryu," Kurapika added.
"Hmm. With that many people, there must be quite a few Nen users among them," Killua observed.
Back in my day, we hadn't reached one hundred thousand yet—around sixty thousand and three hundred, if I recall correctly. Linna and the other senior disciples must have worked tirelessly to expand our reach. Truly gratifying.
"Branch chiefs are almost universally Nen users," Bisky remarked. "Naturally, you can't run an international branch without substantial combat strength."
"Of course, there are numerous Nen practitioners stationed here at headquarters as well," Aisha explained. "Grandmasters, assistant instructors, and any disciples who successfully pass the official Hunter Exam are required to undergo proper Nen training."
"Then let's head inside! We're here to train, right?" Killua urged.
"Yes. We will conduct live sparring in realistic combat formats. While it won't be a life-or-death battlefield, the practical experience will be invaluable."
"Sparring, huh? I wonder if everyone is as strong as Aisha!" Gon asked with wide eyes.
"Rest easy, Gon," Bisky snorted. "If everyone were as strong as Aisha, all other martial arts on the planet would have gone extinct, leaving only Kazama-ryu."
"Just what kind of calamity do you think I am?!" Aisha protested.
"The gate is open to the public, right?" Kurapika asked.
"Yes. Reception is just past the main gate on the right. Prospective students and visitors who register at the front desk are permitted inside the grounds. Naturally, disruptive individuals or those lacking basic manners are ejected immediately."
"You sure know a lot about this place, Aisha. Have you visited before?" Killua glanced over.
"Ah... well, yes. Quite a long time ago," Aisha replied smoothly.
Careful, careful. I shouldn't give away too many historical details. Though since everyone already knows I practice Kazama-ryu, it shouldn't raise too much suspicion.
"Shall we proceed?"
"OOH!!""So much youthful energy. Ah, to be young again~" Bisky sighed.
You really should avoid making old-geezer remarks while looking like a twelve-year-old girl, Bisky.
"Welcome to Kazama-ryu Headquarters Dojo. How may we—oh! Lady Krueger! Welcome! You are not scheduled for today, but how may we assist you?"
"Hey there~ Is Linna in?"
"Yes, but she mentioned an extremely important guest was arriving today, so I will have to check if she is available to—"
"Oh, don't worry about that! This girl right here is the important guest."
It seemed Bisky visited frequently enough that the reception staff recognized her instantly—likely far more often than when I was alive. Seeing Linna and Bisky on such friendly terms brought warmth to my heart, even if our mutual connection began with my past-life death.
"This young lady? Forgive my rudeness! May I have your name?"
"I am Aisha."
"Lady Aisha! Please forgive my insolence! The Grandmaster gave strict instructions to receive you with the highest hospitality! I will notify her immediately. Please wait in the VIP parlor."
...Strict instructions? Just what on earth did Linna tell the staff about me?
"Whoa! Look at this room! Is this also Japon architecture?" Gon gasped, looking around the tatami mats.
"Indeed," Kurapika nodded. "This is called a washitsu (Japanese room). The soothing scent of woven rush grass, the translucent paper sliding doors... it exudes a unique aesthetic. In Japon, this refined simplicity is known as wabi-sabi."
Wabi-sabi, huh. It really is calming. Even in another world, being surrounded by the architecture of my homeland sets my soul at ease.
"Whoa, look at the garden! It's massive! What's that bamboo thing making the clack-clack sound?" Killua asked, peering out the veranda.
"Hmm... could that be a shishi-odoshi?" Kurapika pondered.
"You know what that is, Kurapika?!"
"Yes. I once read about it in an ancient text. A shishi-odoshi originates from a tale where a traveling merchant encountered a ferocious lion (shishi). In desperation, he struck a bamboo instrument, producing a rhythmic clack that startled the beast into fleeing, saving his life. Since then, the sound has been revered as a ward against evil spirits and calamity. The name shishi-odoshi literally translates to 'Lion Scarer.'"
What kind of bogus encyclopedia did you read?! Aisha screamed internally. It's 'Deer Scarer' (shika/shishi), a simple agricultural tool meant to scare birds and deer away from crops!
...Then again, folklore has a funny way of getting distorted over generations. Correcting him now would only embarrass him in front of everyone.
...I'll just keep quiet.
"Heh, I didn't know that," Bisky remarked.
"Kurapika really knows everything!" Gon beamed.
Yep. Definitely staying silent.
"Still, this is serious VIP treatment," Killua noted. "Why is the top martial arts master in the world treating Aisha like royalty?"
"That... I do not know," Kurapika admitted.
Linna, you hopeless disciple! You're laying it on way too thick! Aisha cursed inwardly as everyone gave her inquisitive stares.
Suddenly, a brisk presence approached outside. Footsteps moved at near-race-walking speed. The shoji screen slid open, and Linna stepped into the room.
"Pardon the intrusion! Forgive my delay! Aisha-san, welcome!"
Linna bowed deeply, then turned to the others with poised elegance.
"And welcome to Kazama-ryu Headquarters Dojo, everyone. I am Linna Lockbelt, Grandmaster of this school."
Phew! Aisha breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness she didn't call me 'Sensei' in front of them! She really has matured.
"We will be in your care until September," Aisha said politely.
"There is no need to leave in September! You are welcome to reside here permanently—"
"No, we have important business in Yorknew City starting in September. But thank you for the sentiment."
"I see... Very well. Are these the young men who have come to train?"
"Yes. From left to right: Killua, Gon, and Kurapika. You have met Kurapika previously."
"Indeed. Killua-san, Gon-san, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.
"And Kurapika-san... I remember you vividly. You are the perverted degenerate who peeked at Aisha-san's naked body."
"Oh right! I remember that!" Bisky chimed in with an evil grin.
Before Bisky could even finish her sentence, Kurapika turned on his heel and bolted toward the door like a startled rabbit!
WHOOSH!
Kurapika's evasion reaction was astonishingly swift—yet Killua was faster! Moving like a flash of lightning, Killua intercepted his path and tackled him into a full-body grapple!
(Wait, did Killua's body just spark with electricity for a split second?) Aisha wondered.
"Where do you think you're going?" Killua grinned maliciously.
"L-Let me go, Killua! This is a misunderstanding! Let go and let me explain!"
"Don't you mean 'Hear me out and let me go'? Not a chance!"
"It is a trap! A calculated scheme by Lady Linna to destroy my reputation!"
"I'll hear the full story first. Depending on the verdict, I might tell Leorio."
"ANYTHING BUT THAT!! IF LEORIO FINDS OUT, MY DIGNITY WILL BE REDUCED TO ATOMS!!"
I really need to question why everyone treats Leorio as the ultimate nuclear deterrent, Aisha thought.
"Hey, Aisha," Gon asked innocently. "Did Kurapika really peek at you naked?"
"It was an unavoidable accident! There were plenty of extenuating circumstances, and I wasn't bothered in the slightest. It's completely settled."
Linna smiled sweetly, stepping in for the final execution strike:
"Quite so. Without knocking or requesting permission, he barged into a maiden's private chamber and stared directly at a fully unclothed Aisha-san for several seconds.
"Naturally, he did not know she was undressed, so it was purely accidental. I must formally apologize for calling you a degenerate peeping tom, Kurapika-san. Please accept my sincere apology."
"GUILTY," Killua declared instantly.
"NO! I mean, yes, but that phrasing was deliberately colored with malicious framing!" Kurapika panicked.
"You shouldn't walk into girls' rooms without knocking, Kurapika," Gon chided gently.
"Gon?! Not you too... Is there no justice left in this world?!"
What absolute chaos, Aisha rubbed her temples.
"Alright, that's enough, Linna," Bisky finally intervened. "Kurapika was genuinely worried about Aisha's safety after she missed dinner. If Aisha herself has forgiven him, there's no need to torture the poor boy any further."
"Very well," Linna bowed impeccably. "I apologize once more for slandering your character, Kurapika-san."
"N-No, I should also apologize for entering without knocking," Kurapika sighed, drained of all energy. "Thank you for defending me, Bisky."
"Don't mention it~" Bisky smiled like an angel.
(Hmph. 'Don't mention it,' is it?) Linna thought behind her placid smile. (I see through your game, Bisky. You deliberately waited until that 'disciple-imposter' was cornered before playing the savior to raise your standing with him! How sly!
Though if Bisky manages to seduce that 'androgynous pest,' it works entirely in my favor. Master will be free once more, and our sweet days of private master-disciple training can resume!
He is quite wealthy and respectable, from what I hear. As long as he keeps his hands off Master, I have no objections.
However... if that 'insect' continues to cling to Master, I will ensure this training camp becomes his personal purgatory. Let us see if he survives three days under my care. Fufufu.)
"Now then, shall we proceed to the training grounds?" Linna asked graciously.
"Yes, please lead the way."
As they walked through the compound, Linna hovered attentively over Aisha:
"Aisha-san, how is your health? Are you fatigued?"
"I am perfectly fine."
"Wonderful. If anything feels amiss, inform me instantly. Have you eaten? We have prepared a full kaiseki dinner featuring fresh raw sashimi with wasabi. I also have premium green tea ready for later. And if you go outside, please use this parasol so your flawless porcelain skin remains unblemished!"
Behind them, Gon, Killua, and Kurapika whispered in utter bewilderment:
(Is she... really the Grandmaster of the world's greatest martial arts school?)
(Sadly, yes. Very sadly, yes.)
(Why is she treating Aisha like a delicate princess?)
(Whenever Aisha is involved, that woman loses her mind...)
"Here is our Main Training Hall," Linna announced, arriving at an expansive wooden dojo where hundreds of white-uniformed students were practicing kata.
"GREETINGS, GRANDMASTER!!" the students roared in unison.
"At ease. Continue your practice," Linna commanded with chilling authority.
Whispers rippled through the ranks:
—Who are those guests?
—Lady Krueger is with them!
—Who's that pretty girl?
—Who's the handsome blond guy?
—I want to eat udon.
Linna's brow twitched. "It seems your concentration is lacking today! Running around the perimeter until dusk—move!"
"YES, MA'AM! FORGIVE US!!" The entire hall cleared out in under ten seconds.
"Uh... where did everyone go?" Killua blinked. "Where's our sparring partner?"
"Fear not. Your training ground is beyond this door," Linna gestured to a reinforced iron wall at the back of the hall. "The existence of Nen is strictly confidential. Only those who have awakened their aura are permitted past this threshold."
Gon stepped forward to push the door. "Hnnnngh! It won't budge!"
Realizing the trick, Gon shrouded his hands in Ten and pushed again. CREEEAAAK. The heavy door swung open.
"Well done. Follow me."
Inside the inner training hall, several high-ranking disciples were engaged in sparring.
BAM! THUD!
Tonpa stepped inside a strike, pivoted smoothly, and executed a classic Kazama-ryu hip throw against Kenmi, driving a heel toward his face and stopping a millimeter before impact.
"I-I yield!" Kenmi called out.
"Not bad, kid, but your aura transition during the throw was sloppy," Tonpa instructed with an experienced grin.
"Great coaching, Tonpa! You've really changed over seven years," Land laughed.
"Next is Rudolf-sensei for you, Kenmi," Land added as a dignified elderly Manipulator stepped forward.
"Tonpa! Spar with me next!" shouted Eida, a fierce female fighter who charged in with rapid strikes.
Tonpa ducked, secured a submission lock on the ground, but Eida unleashed a point-blank burst of Nen bullets.
"GAHHH! NO HATSU ALLOWED IN SPARRING!!" Tonpa yelped, blasted across the floor.
"Tonpa-san! Are you alright?!" cried Mizuha, a gentle Enhancer healer who immediately rushed over, surrounding him in soothing green aura. "Eida-san, no dinner for you tonight!"
"I'm sorry, Mizuha! Anything but that!" Eida pleaded.
"Tonpa-san, you're so amazing..." Mizuha blushed furiously.
"Tonpaaaa! Fight me instead!" Pierre yelled in jealous rage.
Tonpa sighed happily. Ah, another fulfilling, honest day of training...
WAIT! NO!! Tonpa slapped his own cheeks. WHAT AM I DOING ENJOYING A HEALTHY, UPRIGHT LIFE?! MY ENTIRE LIFE'S PURPOSE IS TO CRUSH ROOKIES AND WATCH DREAMS SHATTER! HOW DID I GET BRAINWASHED BY THIS DOJO?!
Just as Tonpa was frantically plotting his impossible escape past Rudolf-sensei's surveillance and restrictive Manipulation, the main doors swung open.
"Attention! Grandmaster Linna has assembled everyone in the Grand Dojo!"
All one hundred Nen practitioners gathered in neat formation. The doors parted, and Linna entered, flanked by several guests.
Tonpa's jaw dropped through the floorboards.
—HOLY CRAP!! AISHA AND THE 287TH EXAM ROOKIES?!
Linna smiled warmly, her eyes sharp as obsidian.
"Today, we welcome several esteemed guests for combat sparring: Aisha-san, Gon-san, Killua-san, and..."
Linna paused, her eyes narrowing at Kurapika.
"...Cockroach—pardon me, Kurapika-san."
Kurapika flinched. "I am fairly certain that was not my name..."
"To demonstrate their capabilities, we will begin with a single exhibition match.
"From our ranks... Tonpa-san. Step forward."
ME?! Tonpa froze. BECAUSE I GASPED JUST NOW?!
Linna leaned down, whispering with terrifying sweetness:
("If you defeat that pest, I shall forgive your past insolence and shorten your sentence.")
ALRIGHT! Tonpa pumped his fist. A ROOKIE WHO LEARNED NEN LESS THAN SIX MONTHS AGO?! I'VE BEEN TRAINING FOR SEVEN YEARS! I CAN WIN THIS!
"Both combatants, take your positions... BEGIN!"
"HAAA!!" Tonpa erupted with his absolute maximum Ren, feeling more powerful than ever before in his life. I can do this!
Kurapika simply exhaled softly.
FWOOOOOOSH!!
A towering, dense pillar of pure aura erupted from Kurapika's body—easily three times larger and incomparably sharper than Tonpa's.
...Excuse me? Tonpa's soul nearly exited his mouth. Less than six months?! He's a monster!!
Before Tonpa could even blink, conjured steel chains whipped through the air, binding his arms and legs in an instant. Kurapika yanked the chain, pulling Tonpa forward into a devastating palm strike directly to the solar plexus.
KABAM!
As Tonpa's consciousness faded into blackness, the last thing he saw was Linna looking down at him like a disappointed livestock inspector.
GAME OVER! My adventure has ended here.
◆
[AN]
The original characters introduced in this chapter probably won't appear again in the future. They're just one-off characters, so please bear with me. In Kazama-ryu, squads are deliberately structured with diverse Nen affinities so disciples can learn firsthand how to fight against and manage offensive/defensive aura ratios across every category. Here is a rough introduction to the squad members:
Rudol Hoffmann (Age 62) — Male: Manipulation The squad leader overseeing Tonpa and the others. His combat prowess ranks in the top three within the entire headquarters dojo. An assistant master (Shihan-dai) currently considered the leading candidate to succeed Linna as Headquarters Director. In the past, he was defeated by Ryūshō and subsequently switched styles to Kazama-ryu. Thoughtful and caring toward his juniors, he is deeply trusted by Linna and his fellow peers. For that reason, he was assigned to lead a squad of relatively young talent. He uses his ability to prevent Tonpa from escaping. He is secretly in love with Linna, remaining a lifelong bachelor despite knowing his feelings can never be reciprocated.
Rand Grayner (Age 21) — Male: Enhancement A young man who entered Kazama-ryu around the same time as Tonpa. Bright, cheerful, and an upright youth who never judges people on appearances alone. He once had a painful experience falling for a beautiful woman. He joined Kazama-ryu hoping to forget his past sorrows, which is why he subjected himself to training just as grueling as the hazing Tonpa received. Despite their age difference, he genuinely considers Tonpa a close friend after enduring hell together.
Ada (Age 19) — Female: Emission An orphan who grew up in the slums, which explains her foul mouth and rough tone. She used to survive as a pickpocket, but made the colossal mistake of targeting Linna and Bisky while they were shopping. At Linna's urging, she was forcibly enrolled in both Kazama-ryu and Shingen-ryu for rehabilitation. She commuted between both schools for a time before focusing exclusively on Kazama-ryu. She enjoys her current life because she gets warm meals and a clean bed. She is grateful to Linna for taking her in and idolizes her strength. Specializes in firing vast barrages of Nen bullets—in her own words: "Shoot enough, and you're bound to hit something."
Saizo — Male: Transmutation Hails from Japon. An eccentric who deliberately converts standard language into a heavy regional Jappon dialect when speaking. Despite his quirk, his skill is formidable, having fought Rudol to a draw on multiple occasions. Upbeat and capable of handling both the comedy and the straight man (tsukkomi) roles, making him an invaluable asset in Rudol's squad. In truth, he is a rogue shinobi from a legendary assassination clan in Jappon. Why he joined Kazama-ryu remains unknown. In a no-holds-barred, all-out brawl, he is the strongest fighter in the squad. Real name: Saizo Kirigakure (サイゾー＝キリガクレ).
Mizuha Troia (Age 18) — Female: Enhancement The physical and emotional healing presence of Rudol's squad. Naturally gentle and averse to conflict, her worried parents enrolled her in Kazama-ryu under the guise of learning self-defense. Uses Enhancement to create healing abilities that treat others. She is also a skilled cook who can infuse transmuted aura into seasonings to elevate the nutritional and restorative effects of ingredients. Because of this, while officially in Rudol's squad, she is constantly borrowed by other squads. Voted #1 "Woman in Kazama-ryu disciples most want as a wife/girlfriend" three times in a row. Though she tries to hide it, she is a hardcore oji-con (attracted to older men) with a father complex—Tonpa is her exact strike zone.
Pierre Carpenter (Age 22) — Male: Conjuration A prodigy recognized by himself and others alike. While his moral compass was initially questionable, he mastered Nen within Kazama-ryu in just one year. Before learning Nen, his inflated ego was thoroughly obliterated by Linna, leaving him terrified of her. After being healed by Mizuha while battered and bruised, he fell head over heels in love with her. He intensely despises Tonpa, who is doted on attentively by Mizuha.