Chapter 153: A Thick Wall
Returning to the Karakuraza, Natsuya unhooked his pristine white haori and
tossed it casually over a rack.
He turned to the Kakushi standing nearby. "Tōno, do me a favor and run a quick
errand to the market."
"Pick up some persimmons and malt sugar. Make sure the persimmons are fresh—none
of that pickled junk. Also, grab some flour. I'm making udon for dinner
tonight."
The Kakushi bowed instantly. "Understood, Lord Luminary."
Just as he turned to leave, Natsuya added, "Oh, and grab some fresh seafood.
Fish and shrimp."
"Shrimp?"
"Tempura udon wouldn't be complete without shrimp."
Lord Luminary is certainly putting a lot of thought into the menu for that
female Slayer's return, the Kakushi thought, suppressing a knowing, gossipy grin
as he hurried off.
A short while later, the young swordswoman known as Yukibashiri Seiko followed a
map and her own intuition into the heart of Sendai.
Standing before the gates of the "Special Service Section 9 Sendai Dojo," she
paused, a wave of subtle awe washing over her.
It wasn't a traditional, heavy-timbered samurai manor, nor was it one of the
flashy Western brick spires favored by modern industrialists.
It was... remarkably minimalist, clean, and solemn.
Bathed in the afternoon sunlight, the estate radiated the crisp, pure aura of a
Shinto shrine. While Seiko couldn't identify the architectural style, it clearly
belonged to something foreign and avant-garde.
Only the gilded wooden placard hanging beside the entrance—Special Service
Section 9 · Sendai Branch Kendo Dojo—provided a familiar anchor.
It really is a dojo.
Taking a deep, grounding breath, the girl pushed the gate open.
Inside the courtyard, half a dozen swordsmen were locked in intense sparring
drills. The air was thick with the heavy thud of wooden swords, grunts of
exertion, and...
Wait, is that the smell of broth?
I guess it's normal to have multiple disciples here, she thought, suppressing a
flutter of nerves.
She walked toward the veranda, where the figure she had missed so dearly was
sitting quietly, sipping tea. The afternoon sun carved out the sharp, handsome
lines of his profile. Compared to their days together at Mt. Sagiri, Natsuya had
lost his final traces of youthful awkwardness, replaced by the steady,
unshakeable aura of a veteran.
Whether it was because of his status as a Hashira or simply the passage of
time...
Seiko felt an invisible, heavy wall standing between them.
She took a quiet step forward. A million things she wanted to say crowded the
tip of her tongue—their time in the Final Selection, the grueling training
sessions, the parting hug in Yokohama, and that one-sided "Master-Disciple"
title she had half-jokingly given him.
Yet, facing him now, those words felt trapped behind a thick glass barrier.
She couldn't bring herself to just call him "Natsuya-kun" like she used to.
Her voice came out stiff and overly formal. "Lord... Luminary."
Natsuya blinked, turning his head.
What's with the stiff greeting? We ate BBQ together, for crying out loud.
"Oi~ Seiko. You just got back from Hokkaido, and the first thing you do is
practice your formal business voice on me?"
Seiko's shoulders slumped. The heavy wall she had built in her head instantly
cracked.
"Ugh... you never change, do you, Natsuya-kun?"
A genuine, relieved smile broke across her face, the formal stiffness
evaporating into thin air. "Even when you're a Hashira, you're still just as
annoying."
"Hey, what kind of greeting is that?" Natsuya chuckled. "You didn't even call me
'Sensei'."
Seiko's ears turned pink. She walked up to the veranda and sat opposite him,
taking a cup of tea. "If I called you 'Sensei,' you'd probably start assigning
me homework. I just finished a brutal patrol in the snow, thank you very much."
She looked around the courtyard, taking in the focused trainees. "It really is
lively here. Much more active than when I left."
"Well, grinding XP requires a full party," Natsuya replied casually.
Seiko didn't understand the "XP" part, but she caught the general meaning. She
tilted her head, her expression softening into something warmer. "Actually... I
was a bit worried when I heard you were stationed in the North. The Tohoku
winters are notoriously brutal."
"The snow up in Hokkaido made my joints ache."
"But seeing you here, looking completely fine... I guess a simple blizzard can't
touch a Hashira."
Natsuya took a slow sip of his tea, his HUD casually scanning her status
profile.
[Yukibashiri Seiko (Power Level: 153)]
- Snow Breathing: LV.3 (?)
- Water Breathing: LV.4
Oh? Power Level 153?
Natsuya raised an eyebrow internally. When she left Yokohama, she had barely
scraped 83. In just a few months of surviving the harsh northern patrols, her
stats had nearly doubled.
The North is basically a high-tier grinding zone. The mob density and harsh
environment must be forcing rapid stat growth.
"Not bad," Natsuya evaluated out loud. "Your stats have ticked up quite a bit.
Looks like the snow didn't freeze your brain."
Seiko puffed out her chest with a hint of pride. "Of course! I told you I
wouldn't let you leave me in the dust, didn't I?"
"I've been practicing my new derivative style the whole time. It's called Snow
Breathing."
"I even managed to use the full Total Concentration state during a fight last
week."
"Oh?" Natsuya's interest was genuinely piqued. "Show me."
Seiko didn't hesitate. She stood up, drew her Nichirin Sword in the open
courtyard, and launched into a series of swift, chilling forms.
The air around her dropped several degrees. The traditional, soft flow of Water
Breathing was entirely gone, replaced by a sharp, biting frost. Her strikes were
crisp, swift, and heavy, carrying the ruthless efficiency of an arctic gale.
It was an SR+ tier build, fully optimized for her agile frame.
Not bad at all, Natsuya noted, mentally giving her an "A-Plus" for execution.
She's actually figured out how to balance the stat-distribution better than most
official Slayers.
When she finished and sheathed her blade, she turned back to Natsuya, her eyes
shining with hopeful expectation—like a student waiting for a teacher's grade.
"Well? How was it, Natsuya-kun?"
"Solid. Easily clears the stat-check for the mid-game areas," Natsuya gave an
honest review. "Your footwork is cleaner, and the kinetic transfer is much
sharper."
"You're ready to tackle tougher Elites."
Seiko beamed, the praise making her feel like she was floating on air. All the
freezing nights in the northern snowstorms suddenly felt entirely worth it.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the courtyard, the students taking a water break
were whispering among themselves, casting covert glances at the veranda.
"Hey, who's that female swordsman?"
"She just walked right up and sat with the Luminary Hashira...?"
"Is she a visiting Pillar from another region?"
"No way, look at her rank badge. She's a Tsuchinoe (Rank 5)."
"A Rank 5 sitting alone with the Boss drinking tea?! What kind of VIP treatment
is that?!"
The group of Slayers began to exchange speculative, highly imaginative gossip.
Natsuya ignored them completely, but Seiko's cheeks flushed a bright,
uncontrollable crimson. She hurriedly lowered her head, pretending to study her
teacup to hide her embarrassment.
☆☆☆
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