Chapter 128: The God of Flashiness's Playbook
By the time they reached a deserted riverbank on the outskirts of Nagoya, their
dinner had settled nicely. It was the perfect time for some "cardio."
Beneath the surface of the river, small pebbles shifted, creating shimmering
ripples that caught the pale moonlight of the winter night. The scene reflected
three very different states of mind: Natsuya's casual detachment, Sabito's
wide-eyed curiosity, and—as the challenger—Uzui Tengen's unprecedented gravity.
Since he was sparring with a Natsuya who was clearly "leagues ahead," Uzui knew
he had to play at 100% intensity. He discarded his flamboyant outer coat,
revealing the lean, corded muscle of a shinobi.
"Natsuya. I'm not holding back. Watch your health bar."
He spun his massive, chain-linked dual cleavers, letting them whistle through
the air like a gargantuan set of nunchucks. A faint white mist drifted from his
lips—not from the cold, but from the heat of his lungs.
Thunder Breathing arcs crackled faintly around his frame, while the unique,
high-frequency hum of Sound Breathing began to vibrate through the air.
Natsuya nodded. He drew his "Supreme Grade" blade, Jinmai-Giri.
Sabito held his breath, eyes fixed on the two men. This was a duel between the
elite tiers of the Corps. Missing a single frame would be a tragedy.
Senior Natsuya isn't officially Rank 1 yet? Sabito thought. Doesn't matter. It's
just because the Corps hasn't realized what kind of 'Legendary Drop' he is yet.
"Hade ni ikuze! (Let's get flashy!)"
Before the words fully landed, the ninja vanished.
It wasn't a standard linear Thunder-dash. Instead, Uzui traced a fluid, rhythmic
arc that felt like a musical crescendo. Sound Breathing originated from the
speed-focused Thunder school, but in Uzui's hands, it gained a layer of
flamboyant complexity.
It was blindingly fast. Even with the "under-clocked" speed for a spar, his
burst velocity far exceeded any other Slayer Sabito had ever seen.
CLANG!
The heavy cleaver slammed into Natsuya's slender katana, the impact sending a
jarring shockwave through the air. Natsuya's arm dipped slightly.
His raw Strength stat is significantly higher than Old Fossil Kazami's, Natsuya
noted.
But Uzui's "Opening Play" wasn't a simple hack. He didn't use his height to
press the advantage; instead, he retracted the right-hand blade instantly.
Before the first blade was even back in a neutral guard, the left-hand cleaver
was already whistling through a horizontal slash!
Despite their grotesque, oversized shapes, they were still Blades. Uzui Tengen
was a master of the dual-wield meta. The two swords wove a relentless,
overlapping web of steel and sonic booms.
Natsuya parried the onslaught, focused on feeling the rhythm of the kinetic
transfer and the technical finesse of the "Sound" logic.
Every graduate of the Final Selection possessed "Boulder-Splitting" grip
strength—hundreds of kilograms of raw crushing power. A full-power slash from a
veteran was measured in tons. They were effectively "Street-tier Superhumans."
So, what about a battle-hardened Kinoe-rank shinobi?
Natsuya tilted his body. A vicious, emerald-and-gold sonic slash grazed his
chest, hurtling past him to strike the river. The wind of the strike sent a wall
of water three meters into the air.
Uzui was playing a completely different game than the rookies. If this were a
movie, he'd be the "Super-type" warrior who defied physics.
Natsuya glanced at the proficiency bars in his HUD. [Luminary Breathing],
[Suburi], [Mentorship], and [Physical Conditioning] were all ticking upward
during this high-quality exchange.
The XP payout from Uzui is way better than farming Masachika or Kazami, Natsuya
grinned.
"Lord Uzui is just getting started!"
The ninja was a whirlwind of steel. He loomed over Natsuya like an armored
chariot driven by a storm. The sparks from their clashing blades were bright
enough to ignite the night air.
Sabito was sweating just watching. Senior Uzui is stronger than every demon I've
ever fought combined. This isn't a 'spar' anymore—this is a high-level raid!
He looked at Natsuya. The boy's expression hadn't changed. Aside from his eyes
looking a bit more focused, he looked... bored? Or maybe just "leisurely spacing
out" while dodging?
"The combination of speed and chain-combos... your Sound Breathing definitely
has more 'flavor' than vanilla Thunder," Natsuya commented while effortlessly
deflecting the twin blades.
Uzui hadn't even touched his bombs or ninja tools yet, and he was already
putting on a masterclass of "Flashy Mechanics."
"Flavor?! It's a masterpiece!"
Uzui flashed a wicked, predatory grin. The trajectory of his Nichirin Sword
suddenly shifted into a massive, heavy-weight horizontal sweep. Natsuya used
[Insight] to calculate the range, performing a micro-backstep to clear the arc
by a millimeter.
But then, Uzui's wrist performed a bizarre, unnatural flick.
The attack range doubled instantly!
Natsuya's breath hitched. His silhouette vanished, and he "glitched" another
meter backward just as the steel whistled past the tip of his nose. The wind
pressure alone stung his skin.
What...?
Natsuya narrowed his eyes. Uzui was holding the very tip of one cleaver between
his thumb and forefinger, using the connecting chain as an axis to swing the
other blade like a Kusarigama (chain-sickle).
The velocity was higher. The range was massive. The control required to not cut
his own fingers off was insane.
"Incredible!" Sabito yelled from the sidelines. That's the true power of a
Rank 1 veteran!
"Just a shinobi trick!" Uzui laughed, spinning his body to reset the dual-wield
grip.
The next second, the pressure spiked. Amidst the non-stop clashing, Uzui's voice
carried a note of genuine pride.
"The training in my clan was a literal hell. It gave me a body that surpasses
human limits and the dexterity to master any weapon!"
"Breathing Styles? No. This is the Way of Flashiness—the ultimate fusion of
Shinobi Arts and Breathing!"
Uzui wasn't just a "Stat-Stick" with bombs. His years of assassination and
survival training, combined with his high-level Breathing, made him a tier above
any standard Slayer.
"Natsuya! I'm going to catch up to you... and then I'm going to surpass you with
a bang!"
The "Symphony" of Sound Breathing reached its climax.
[Sound Breathing, Fourth Form: Constant Resounding Slashes!]
A localized hurricane of explosions and steel descended on Natsuya. The chain
and the wide blades wove into a lethal "Fisherman's Net" of hitboxes, sealing
off every evasive route.
The sudden spike in tempo forced Natsuya back several steps. He looked at his
sword, worried.
This 'Jinmai Lang' might actually snap, Natsuya thought. Standard katanas aren't
meant to parry ten-kilogram cleavers swinging at Mach 1.
He decided to stop kiting. He decided to get serious.
He identified a microscopic gap in Uzui's "Rhythmic Score." The gravel beneath
Natsuya's boots exploded as he lunged with a burst of speed that made his
previous Thunder Breathing look like a walk.
One step. He entered the "Dead Zone" of the chain's arc. He was inside Uzui's
guard.
It was the one place the long weapons couldn't reach in time. Uzui's reach
advantage had just become a "Recovery Frame" liability.
"WHAT?!"
Uzui's pupils shrank. His combat instinct screamed. His aura shifted instantly
as he funneled everything into his lungs.
BOOM!
Static and blue light detonated around the ninja. In a state of pure Total
Concentration, Uzui triggered a frame-one defensive move. He managed to bring
one cleaver back across his chest by a hair's breadth.
He barely blocked Natsuya's one-inch punch.
Tons of kinetic force were squeezed between Natsuya's metal gauntlet and the
Nichirin steel. The screech of metal on metal was deafening. Uzui was sent
sliding back across the riverbank, his legs cutting through the shallow water
until he finally dug his heels into the mud ten meters away.
"As expected of my Flashy Rival..."
Uzui shook his numbing arm and bared his teeth in a grin.
"But even without my tools... don't think you can look down on the hell I've
been through!"
☆☆☆
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