Tuziku got up early, just before sunrise, and began training by himself.
As he attempted to pass the Hakashi Form Revelation test once more, Ryōkōjū secretly watched him from behind a giant boulder.
FWOOOOOOOSSH!!
A burst of powerful wind erupted from Tuziku's hands, violently shaking the tree and causing several dozen leaves to be blown away.
As the old man secretly witnessed Tuziku's improvement, he thought to himself:
Boy... You keep on exceeding my expectations every time...
It's amazing how he's able to summon such powerful winds!
Meanwhile, Tuziku wallowed in disappointment.
As he clenched his fists, he thought to himself:
Damn it!
I managed to summon an even more powerful burst of wind, but it's still not enough!
He gazed at the palms of his hands.
What is it that I'm still lacking...?
Just then—
"Hey there, boy!"
Ryōkōjū decided to reveal himself.
He slowly approached Tuziku.
"Boy... why didn't you wait on me before heading out for training?"
"In any case..."
"That display of power just now was quite remarkable!" He stroked his long gray beard.
"It's clear that you've improved in power after just one day."
"Wait, you were spying on me this whole time?!" Tuziku snapped.
"For how long?" he asked.
Ryōkōjū chuckled.
"Don't worry about the trivial stuff."
"Anyways, from what I've seen from yesterday and this morning, I've got a pretty rough idea of what forms you're most compatible with," he explained.
"Really?! Then, what are my forms?!" Tuziku's expression burst with joy.
Ryōkōjū nodded his head.
"Not so fast, boy..."
"You still have to pass this test first." He placed his hands behind his back.
"...I'm sure you've realized this by now, but even though your power is impressive, you won't be able to pass this test with power alone..."
Tuziku thought to himself...
Just as I thought, I'm still missing something...
"Then..."
"At least tell me what it is that I'm lacking..." Tuziku pleaded.
"Hmmm..." The old man stroked his beard.
"From what I've seen, you focus too much on power..."
"Your attacks are too widespread."
"Perhaps you should focus on reducing the range of your attacks by compressing the wind," said Ryōkōjū.
"I see..." Tuziku scratched his chin.
Indeed, the Heavy Gust attack does cover a wide area with its attack...
And because of that, the tree isn't being affected by the full force behind my attack!
So maybe the answer really is to compress my attack before I release it!
"All right, I'll give it a try!" Tuziku shouted with determination as he approached the tree.
"Then, I should step aside and allow you to shine," said the old man as he went and sat down beside a giant rock.
Tuziku inhaled sharply.
Then, he exhaled.
Suddenly, strong winds began circulating through the air.
Tuziku thought to himself:
Compress the air...
Focus on reducing the scale of the attack!
Suddenly—
FWOOOOOOO!!
The powerful winds surrounding the area began to swirl around Tuziku's fist as he prepared to launch a punch.
"Ohhh! It seems like you've already figured something out, boy!" Ryōkōjū shouted in excitement.
As Tuziku drew his fist back and aimed at the tree, the powerful winds began concentrating around his right fist.
SWOOOOOO!!
Then—
"HAAAA!"
He launched a devastating punch just a few meters away from the tree.
However...
FWOOOOOOSSH!!
His attack lost control, and he was sent flying backward into the sky.
"Ahhhh!!" Tuziku screamed.
"Ahhhhhh!!"
THUD!!
He fell flat on his butt.
"Ow, ow, oww!"
The old man burst out laughing.
"You're hilarious, boy!" said the old man, still sitting beside the giant rock.
"What was that, old man?" Tuziku asked.
"I tried to compress my attack before I released it, and it sent me flying instead!" he shouted.
Ryōkōjū laughed.
"If you compress such powerful winds too much, it can lose control and send you flying, just as it did just now," he explained.
"And you chose to tell me this now!" Tuziku snapped.
The old man chuckled.
"Now, now..."
"Trial and error are a part of training, and they also play a huge role in life," said Ryōkōjū as he stroked his beard.
"Gee, thanks for the life lesson," Tuziku said with a shrug.
At the same time—
"Hey, Tuziku!"
A female voice tore through the air.
"Oh, Prīōra!" Tuziku replied.
Prīōra approached, holding what appeared to be a basket in her hand.
"Ohhh!" Ryōkōjū shouted excitedly as he ran toward Prīōra.
"My sweet, sweet granddaughter!"
He hugged her tightly.
Prīōra's expression displayed great discomfort.
"Hmm?"
"What's that you're holding in your hand?" he asked.
"I brought lunch for the both of you," she replied.
"Here!"
She shoved the basket into his arms and walked off.
"How's training coming along, Tuziku?" she asked as she approached him.
"Well, it's coming along nicely... although I still have a lot to learn," Tuziku replied as he scratched his head.
Prīōra chuckled.
"Since it can't be mastered, the Hakashi Technique is capable of limitless development, so I'm sure you'll learn a lot more!" she said with a bright grin.
"That makes sense..." Tuziku replied as he scratched his chin.
"Well, anyways, I just came to drop off your lunch, so I'll leave you to train in peace."
She turned around.
Before she could walk off, she glanced over toward Ryōkōjū, who had already begun eating the lunches she brought.
"Geez, grandpa!"
"You're already eating...?" she whined.
Nom! Nom!
Gulp!
"I have to keep up my strength too, you know?" he replied.
"But you aren't the one doing anything..."
...
"...Weren't you about to leave?" Ryōkōjū asked, wearing a forced grin.
"Oh, now you want me to leave?!" she snapped.
"You gluttonous old man!" she mumbled as she stormed off.
"Bye, Tuziku!" she waved at him as she left.
Suddenly—
SMACK!
Tuziku slapped himself on the cheek.
"Right!"
"Time to continue with my training!" he shouted.
"What's gotten into you all of a sudden, boy?" Ryōkōjū asked, wearing a confused expression.
Tuziku clenched his fist as he gazed up at the morning sun.
"I feel like I'm pretty close to unlocking something here!" he said with a passionate grin.
He slowly approached the tree.
"It's time to pass this test and unlock my forms!" Tuziku shouted with determination.
The old man placed the basket aside and stood up.
"All right, boy..."
"Let's see what you've got!"
Ryōkōjū folded his arms.
Tuziku stared at the tree.
He took a deep breath.
This time, he wasn't thinking about how powerful his attack could become.
He was thinking about how precisely he could control it.
I don't need more power...
I need control.
His eyes narrowed.
Then, he stepped forward completely locking on to the tree.
CHAPTER 46 END