"After the kakari-geiko [repeated attack practice], we'll move on to randori [free sparring]. Everyone, stay sharp! Begin!"
Hmm… Out of the nearly one thousand disciples at the main dojo, there are only about twenty instructors. Of those, merely four are assistant masters or higher… Far too few hands.
It's already been more than ten years since Master Ryusho entrusted me with running the dojo. Branches have multiplied, disciples as well—but the instructors to guide them are severely lacking. I may need to demand reinforcements from the branches, though I doubt there are suitable candidates available…
Even if the numbers are there, if the quality is not—no, perhaps that's too much of a luxury to complain about.
If I could devote myself fully to instruction, things might improve somewhat. But with this number, it would be like pouring a cup of water on a burning rock. And I cannot neglect my own training either. If only I could spend all my time on training… but such is not possible.
If only there were someone worthy enough to inherit the seat of dojo head. But the minimum requirement is to surpass me both in body and in spirit.
Frankly, I would never allow it otherwise. Someone weaker than me becoming my successor—that is, Master Ryusho's successor—is utterly unthinkable.
Ah… If only the day had forty-eight hours, I could train so much more. There just isn't enough time.
"Master Riina! A message from the office—they say you have a call. They insist it's urgent, and the caller is waiting!"
"Urgent? That sounds troubling. Who is the caller?"
"U-uh, they said… it's Chairman Netero of the Hunter Association…"
"—! Understood. I'll go at once. Thank you, return to your training."
"Y-yes ma'am!"
So… that old man Netero, and an urgent matter no less. What could this be about?
"—Hello? This is Riina speaking."
[Oh! Riina-chan, is it? Sorry to bother you when you're busy. It's me, Netero!]
"If you really thought I was busy, you wouldn't be calling in the first place."
[Hah, still sharp-tongued as ever. Truth is, there are two things I wanted to ask you. That's why I called.]
"Two things to ask me? And what would those be, you old bas—… Chairman Netero."
[Oi, you were about to say 'old bastard,' weren't you!? That's harsh!]
"You must be hearing things, Chair… old bastard Chairman."
[You didn't even need to correct yourself there! Why would you say it twice!?]
"Pardon me. That was a slip of the tongue."
[Don't give me that! No one slips up like that on accident!]
"This conversation isn't going anywhere. If you called just to waste time, I'm hanging up."
[Alright, alright! Enough of that!]
…That should be enough teasing. Any more and it really would be a waste of time.
"So, what is it you wanted to ask?"
[Mm. Before that, it'd be troublesome if someone were eavesdropping. Would you mind switching to the secure line?]
The secure line? Right, that would be the direct line in Sensei's office that connects only with Chairman Netero. If he wants to use that, then this must be an extremely serious matter.
"…Understood. Please hold for a moment."
Just what could this be about? If it requires the secure line… Could it be about the Black Book?
The Black Book. A tome in which Sensei recorded various nen abilities and training methods he devised. The actual title had worn off from age and handling, leaving only the black of its cover—hence the name.
It turned up when I was sorting through Sensei's belongings. Much of the writing was already faded, some passages outright illegible due to damage.
But what was decipherable—contained nen abilities so extraordinary that ordinary people couldn't even begin to imagine them. For a nen user, it would be a priceless treasure.
And so—it was stolen. We had sent it to a lab for preservation and analysis, but it vanished without a trace. The Hunter Association has been searching ever since, yet no word of success has come…
But a direct call from Netero, on the secure line. Could it really be—?
I couldn't stop myself from walking faster, my heart pounding.
"Thank you for waiting. The secure line is connected now."
[Good, good. Been a long time since this was used. No chance of eavesdropping now.]
"So then, what did you want to ask?"
[…The first thing is about Penetrating Palm.]
So it's not about the Black Book? No… perhaps that will be the second thing. Too soon to lose hope.
"What about Penetrating Palm? Ah, do you mean you want to feel it for yourself? Very well. Compared to Sensei mine is still immature, but I'll gladly strike you with my full power."
[Are you trying to kill me!? I never want to feel that again in my life!!]
"What do you mean 'again'? You've never once taken my full Penetrating Palm. If Sensei had ever unleashed it at full strength, you'd already be in your grave. It is one of the most lethal techniques in the entire Kazama style."
Well, though to be fair, Chairman Netero might have been able to manipulate his aura internally to defend against it…
[…Lethal, indeed. Which is why the user must be chosen with the utmost care. Correct?]
"…? Yes, of course. As I said, Penetrating Palm is far too deadly, so it is treated as a most closely guarded secret of the Kazama style. I was the only one Sensei ever taught it to. No one else even knows of its existence."
[…So you haven't passed it on to any of your disciples?]
"Of course not. To inherit Penetrating Palm would mean becoming my successor. Unfortunately, no one worthy has appeared yet."
[Then what about the Kazama style's original lineage back in Jappon? Could there be a practitioner there?]
"Impossible. Strictly speaking, Penetrating Palm was Ryuushou-sensei's own original creation. I'll say it again—at present, I alone can use it. …You've been circling around the point for a while now. What are you really trying to say?"
…Could it be that what Chairman Netero means to tell me is—? No, it can't be. No one but me should be able to use Penetrating Palm!
[…Truth is, I fought against someone who used Penetrating Palm.]
"Impossible!! That's absurd…! Are you certain it was Penetrating Palm!? Perhaps you mistook it for another technique—"
[Do you think these old eyes of mine would mistake it? How many times do you think I took it from Ryuushou himself?]
…True. With Netero's strength, there's no way he'd misidentify it. But still…!
[If that were the only thing, one might suppose it was a coincidence—that they independently devised the same technique.]
"…But it wasn't just that, was it?"
[…The fighter used Willow Leaf Shaking to slip into my blind spot, then followed up with Ju (Softness)—the Kazama style's grappling art. Before I knew it, I was thrown clean through the air.]
"Th-that's impossible… Even Willow Leaf Shaking? And to think someone could throw you—the master of Shingen-ryu Kenpo—even if you were caught off guard!?"
[…That's a bit of venom in your words, isn't it?]
"Who was this person!? And why on earth were you fighting someone who seems to be a Kazama-style user!?"
[To be precise, it wasn't a fight. During the Hunter Exam, I played a little game with one of the examinees…]
…A game, during the Hunter Exam. Typical of Chairman Netero.
"Then… that person was an examinee?"
[Aye. Name's Aisha. A fresh-faced black-haired beauty with quite the figure!]
"You really should just die already, you bastard old man."
[You're not even trying to hide it anymore!?]
"Apologies. My true feelings slipped out. Please go die and then apologize."
[Why me!? …Ahem! Anyway, leaving that aside—the point is, this girl Aisha—]
"—She used the Kazama style's deepest secrets… Wait, you said girl, didn't you?"
[…Her application form states her age as thirteen.]
"T-thirteen!? At such a young age, she wielded both Penetrating Palm and the grappling arts well enough to throw you!? That's impossible! It cannot be allowed! If that were true—if that were true, then Sensei's hundred-plus years of training would be equivalent to this girl's mere thirteen! I refuse to accept that!!"
I cannot—must not—accept such a thing!
[Calm yourself, Riina! …I can understand your disbelief. Even having experienced it myself, I find it beyond words. But the truth is, the brilliance of Aisha-chan's technique, and the quiet yet burning aura she bore… were on par with Ryuushou himself.]
"..."
If Netero says it, then it must be true… He was, after all, Master's only equal—and his friend.
[…Do you remember I said there were two things I wanted to ask you?]
"Ah—yes, that's right. The first matter was such a shock I completely forgot. Although… I still want to hear more details about that."
[It's about the Black Book.]
"—! Has it been found!?"
[No, not yet. We continue to search, but it remains undiscovered…]
"Damn it! What on earth are you people doing? You shame the very name of professional Hunters!"
[Forgive me. Two years ago we caught word it had surfaced on the black market. We dispatched Hunters immediately, but by the time they arrived it had already changed hands. The trail was lost.]
"Yes, I heard that report. And I also know the Hunters dispatched were under the thumb of that so-called Vice Chairman… If that man hadn't held the title of Vice Chairman, I would've beaten him half to death already."
[…Yes. Truly, I am sorry. Somehow, the assignment ended up being switched to Association-affiliated Hunters without my realizing. A mistake on my part.]
"…Fine. But in any case, recover it as quickly as possible. That book is one of Master's most precious legacies. I would go searching myself if I had the time—but treasure hunting is not my specialty."
[I understand… But tell me, Riina-chan: how much of the Black Book's contents do you remember?]
"Every line I managed to decipher, word for word. As Master's first disciple, it's only natural."
[I see… That's good. I read it as well, but I couldn't commit the entirety to memory.]
"And? Why ask this now?"
[Because, if I recall, wasn't there an entry in it? About a certain Reincarnation Nen ability…]
"Ah, you mean Reincarnation. The Black Book described it like this:"
[Reincarnation]
Specialist Type Ability
Allows the user to reincarnate into a new life, inheriting knowledge, experience, and aura capacity.
Restrictions:
Does not activate unless the user truly dies. Cause of death can be anything except suicide. If one engineers their own death by deliberately allowing another to kill them, that also counts as suicide.
"That's as much as could be deciphered. Unfortunately, the section on Vows was torn out, and other passages are missing as well, so it may not be complete. If this ability really were possible, the Vow would have to be unbearably severe. Even for a Specialist… I can't imagine it actually being realizable."
[…And yet, I bring it up because—when I look at this Aisha girl, I see Ryusho's shadow.]
"You can't mean… You seriously think that girl is Master's reincarnation!?"
[I believe the possibility cannot be dismissed.]
"Absurd! To reincarnate while retaining both knowledge and ability—even for Master, that's beyond belief! Besides, Master was a Manipulator. He couldn't have developed a Specialist ability."
[It could be that he shifted into Specialist after the fact.]
"Even so—"
[Tell me, girl. Do you know what Ryusho's Nen ability—his Hatsu—actually was?]
—! I froze at the question. No, I don't know.
"…No. I asked him countless times, but he never once told me."
[Indeed. In all the times we fought, he never used a Hatsu. And when asked directly, he said only, I have no combat Hatsu.]
"…Meaning he may have had a Hatsu, but not one for fighting. And you believe the same."
[Exactly. For a man as devoted to strength as Ryusho, it's hard to imagine he chose not to create a combat ability. But what if he couldn't—because all his capacity was consumed by something else?]
"—! You mean… a Hatsu so consuming it left no room for combat abilities?"
[Just so. And that Hatsu could very well have been Reincarnation.]
"And the timing… Master died nearly fourteen years ago. This Aisha girl is thirteen. If he reincarnated, the ages line up exactly…"
[Right. With so many conditions aligned, it's harder and harder to deny.]
"…Could she truly be Master Ryusho reborn…?"
[I cannot say for certain. However—]
"What?"
[How many people do you think could withstand the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva? At thirteen, no less. Other than Ryusho himself, very few indeed.]
—…Excuse me? What is this geezer saying?
"Did you just say… withstand the Guanyin?"
[…Eh? Did I not mention that?]
"You most certainly did not!! What were you thinking!? What kind of lunatic uses the Guanyin on a thirteen-year-old girl!? Were you trying to kill her!?"
[N-no, listen! She used Penetrating Palm the moment I couldn't evade. And besides, she was nearly unharmed!]
"Nearly unharmed is not the issue—! …Wait. Unharmed?"
[W-well, a few scratches, maybe. I couldn't tell what damage she took internally, but after taking it she was lively enough to sprint away…]
"…If she truly defended against the Guanyin… Then yes, only Master fits that description."
Could it be… Master, reborn? But if so, why—why say nothing to us?
"…Why would Master not tell us anything?"
[Because nothing is certain yet. Even if he did reincarnate, he might not retain his memories or awareness. When I spoke with her, she seemed nothing more than an ordinary girl. I cannot imagine Ryusho acting that convincingly.]
"…I see. Then I will confirm it myself. Where is the Hunter Exam currently being held?"
[H-hold on, you're not thinking of barging in directly, are you? Impossible for now. The exam has only just reached the third phase. If you confronted her now, her test would be ruined. Wait until just before the final phase. There will be time then.]
"…Tch. Very well. But when the time comes, you will contact me. If you don't, I won't forgive you."
[Understood, understood. No need to glare so hard. I'll take your travel time into account too.]
"Hmph. Honestly, you should just pass her immediately. With your authority, you could do it. And clearly her ability is more than sufficient."
[N-no, I can't just hand out exceptions like that!]
"…Why are you flustered?"
[N-nothing at all! Anyway, that's enough for now. I'll cut the line here. Until next time!]
Click—
"…Hmph. Hanging up on me so abruptly. How rude."
But if this is true—if Master Ryusho has truly been reborn…
Even if his appearance is different… to meet him again! To train under him once more!!
Ah, what a glorious prospect! Yes! He should inherit this dojo again. It was his to begin with, after all. Then I could receive his guidance again… haaah…
N-no, calm down. There's still a strong chance this Aisha girl is not his reincarnation.
But even if not, she's clearly a prodigy of Kazama-ryu. If her character and background prove sound, making her my successor and the dojo's next head would be ideal.
And if there are flaws in her character… I'll correct her. Just as I tried with Tonpa. …Well, perhaps that one was a failure.
As for her age—that's nothing but a matter of time. In the meantime, I can dedicate myself to my own training again…
Ahhh! I can hardly wait to meet this Aisha! I haven't felt this excited in years. Heh heh heh… I doubt I'll sleep a wink tonight!
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